The Virtues of Sin
by jakiratsenekazu
Summary: Supernatural AU. This is not a normal hunt for Tony Stark. He was chasing a monster but found a lost and frightened Bruce Banner. As Bruce is thrown into the Hunter world, he begins to discover not everything is as it seems. Is he merely another victim of the supernatural, or is he part of a divine plan that would change the world? (No Supernatural knowledge needed)
1. Welcome to the Powder Keg!

It had been a long hunt that finally seemed to have panned out. After three long months of searching and tracking, Tony finally felt that he might actually be able to catch his prey.

This one had been a difficult case. A massive being would show up out of nowhere, destroy a town, and then vanish as if nothing happened. The police and other authorities tried to pass it off as a tornado and an earthquake at the same time, but that was so fake even the general populous did not believe it. It had monster written all over it. Which one though was up for debate.

None of the lore Tony could find matched up with the story. Nothing could just destroy a whole town without leaving behind a few signs. Monsters usually liked to keep a low profile to avoid hunters. This one, though, was acting like a beacon. Tony was not sure what to think of it. Could it be something new?

It was another late night in the high-end hotel room, nice top shelf scotch in hand, when he began consolidating his evidence before the hunt began in the morning and he finally closed in on his mystery monster.

"JARVIS, run through the lore again. Make sure that this is a new thing before I go out and kill myself."

"Of course sir." His AI replied.

It was so much simpler and faster to use JARVIS over the old fashioned way of reading book after dusty book of legends. Sorting everything into a nice portable database was definitely the way to go; saved so much time.

"Confirmed. Data matches no known lore. Probability of it being an unidentified monster 85%. Suggested weapons: unknown. Known weaknesses: unknown."

"Any good news?" Tony sighed upon hearing the outcome.

"Known strengths: unknown."

"That's the spirit!" Tony agreed jokingly and guzzled down his drink.

"Suggested partner: -"

"I don't need a partner Jarv, we've been over this." Tony shook his head. "Just wake me up in the morning and we'll get this guy."

"Of course sir."

* * *

Bruce's eyes snapped open from his nightmare as he sat up straight in his make-shift bed. He looked wildly around at his surroundings and, when he found no one around, slumped his shoulders with a sigh. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and leaned against the wall of the abandoned house.

It had been one hell of three month so far. He found himself losing his memories every other day; waking up half-naked in a pit that looked like he was a meteor that crashed into the Earth, surrounded by rubble and silence. He could not even tell if this was real life anymore.

Bruce pulled his over-sized button-up shirt that he stole from around the last pit he woke up in over his skinny torso and pulled himself off of the wall. He noticed light streaming in through a broken window and realized that he had slept in far too late.

"Keep moving, Banner. Gotta keep moving," he muttered as he rubbed his eyes and headed for the exit.

Bruce grabbed the doorknob and threw open the door in his haste, nearly running into a man whose hand was raised to the knob's level on the other side.

Tony did what he always had done and took control of the situation quickly.

"Surprise, Bitch!" Tony smiled and threw a flask full of holy water into the man's face, making Bruce stumble back as he readied a knife.

Bruce fell backwards in surprise and landed on his bottom. He wiped the water out of his eyes and looked up at the stranger.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled at the stranger and paused when he saw the knife in the other's hands.

"Holy Water: No Effect." Tony kneeled down and pulled the man's arm forward and slid the knife against the tender flesh just enough to draw a thin line of blood. "Silver: No Effect."

Tony stood up and began pouring salt around the fallen man. "Camera Distortions?"

"None, sir." JARVIS replied through Tony's earpiece.

Once the salt circle was in place Tony went over to a boarded window and ripped off a rotten plank, letting the bright light of dawn stream onto the man. Bruce winced from the sudden action and the light change, but other than that, he did not seem to react.

"Cristo?" Tony sighed as a last resort. A mixture of a confused and terrified look, but nothing. "Well, shit..."

Tony began to pace around the man, looking him over. Either this guy was human, or maybe he was a witch? Maybe he was just a hobo, he looked like a hobo. No, the intel was solid. His algorithms were never _this_ wrong. This was the guy; he just had to find out what he was.

Bruce had grabbed onto the cut on his arm and pushed himself back ruining the salt circle around him. The man huddled himself into a corner, his eyes growing wild. "What do you want with me?" He choked out, his body beginning to shudder.

Tony rolled his eyes at the huddled man on the floor. He pulled out a syringe and took off the cap. "If you have anything you want to tell me, now would be the time. I know what you've done." Tony leaned forward, readying the needle. "Did you really think no one would notice Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas?! I've been chasing you for months. Now tell me what you are, or we are taking a little trip and I'll just have to find out."

Tony looked down at the broken trail that Bruce left, looking for any sign of what he really was, when he noticed that where the other's blood fell on the salt, the salt was melted. He looked back up at the man to see his eyes glowing a bright green, his skin sweaty and tingeing a greenish color.

"Ah... Jarv? Intel! Do I have anything on this?" Tony whispered as he began backing away to get a better vantage point as he readied his shot gun.

"None, sir."

"Well, could he be a Shifter? What is the probability that this is an intimidation tactic?"

"Negative. Shifters have an aversion to Silver, sir. Percent of intimidation tactic: 45, 44, 43, 42 - "

"Right, decreasing, got it." Tony looked at the man as he began shuddering in the corner. "Suggested tactic?"

"A strategic retreat might be in order, sir."

Tony took one more look at the man then back at the shot gun in his hands. It was filled with salt rounds, and lucky him, salt was ineffective.

"Agreed." Tony shouted and quickly left the building.

Tony heard the man groan and shout for a minute and he paused outside of the building. He turned around at the sound of a crash. The building rumbled and then the air around him fell silent. A large roar ripped through the building as it started to crumble around the monster.

The monster was huge, at least eight feet, likely still growing. Solid green and muscle stood very angrily before him. Tony was in sheer awe and panic for a moment, but only a moment. Soon he had his shotgun trained on the monster. Salt or no salt aversion, a bullet to the chest is still a bullet to the chest.

"Okay, I might be a bit over my head, but you don't know who you are dealing with. Come at me!"

The monster glared down at him and shook in anger. He let out a roar and charged at Tony, fists bigger than trash can lids ready to slam down on him.

Tony managed a sloppy roll out of the way. Fighting was never his strong suit. His style was more get in-get out before the monsters even knew what hit them. He had to find a way out of this. He had to re-establish his advantage.

"Have you read David and Goliath, big guy?" Tony taunted as he picked a rock up from the ground. The monster roared in response and tried to crush Tony again. "Yeah, I haven't either. But I have the gist of it. Apparently, it went like this!" Tony hurled the rock at the monster's head. The monster just blinked when the rock snapped into pieces on contact, leaving a small smudge behind. Tony just shook his head. "So much for that. How about some lightening?" Tony pushed a button on his watch and suddenly a bolt of electricity jumped from the watch to the smudge.

The monster fell to the ground.

"Ha! That, my friend, is some super conductive goop I've invented. Conducts electricity like crazy! You doin' okay big fella?"

The monster let out a groan and started to shrink in size, leaving a much smaller man behind in the crevice it made. The man raised his head slightly from the ground and opened his glazed-over eyes. He let out one last moan as his eyes closed and his face fell into the dirt, the dust subsiding from the effort.

"So he is some new kind of shape-shifter." Tony mused as he readied another syringe full of a sedative and injected the man. "He obviously does change shape. But I've never seen one immune to silver... Are you new?" Tony lifted the guy up and put him in his car. "Well this will be fun, huh, Jarv? I get to claim my own monster."

"I'll begin work on an appropriate name then, shall I? Perhaps something with 'Stark' in it?"

"Very funny, JARVIS. Very, very funny."

* * *

Bruce woke up, his head heavy and his vision blurred. He shook his head slowly and tried to raise a hand only to find his arms tied down to a chair. He started to pull at the restraints in a panic and found himself stuck. He tried to get a look at his surroundings, only to find himself in absolute darkness.

Bruce felt like he had jumped out of his skin when a door suddenly slammed open. A stream of light poured in from the doorway with a shadowy figure in the center.

"Oh, good, you're awake," the figure said nonchalantly as he kicked the door closed with a low sweep of his leg. They were once again in darkness, the only sounds being Bruce's breathing and the stranger's steps. Bruce heard a click and he flinched at the sudden light that came from a lamp next to him. He opened his eyes and saw the man who attacked him before standing over him.

"How ya doin'?" The man said with a smile, squatting a little to be at eye level. "Feel like talking? Cause I've got soooo many questions for you."

Bruce looked around the room with glazed eyes until he met the other's eyes. His eyes suddenly refocused and he jumped back, the chair shuffling against the floor with him. He looked down at his lap and took noticeably deeper breaths.

"Let's start with your name," Tony said standing up, turning a monitor on and filling the room with a weak blue light. "I've been calling you 'Spanky' but I don't think your parents were that mean to you."

When Bruce had calmed himself down, he looked up at the other man. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Well, that all depends on you, Spanky." Tony smiled and looked around the room for something. "First, I'm going to find out what you are. Then, I'll find out if you're dangerous. Kinda have a good idea on that, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that I was kinda-sorta threatening you. Finally, if you turn out to be a good boy, I might just let you go, if not, well..." Tony flashed another smile. "I'll have to kill you."

Bruce gulped and looked back down at his lap. "I...I don't know w-what I am," he muttered, almost to himself.

Tony pulled a clear glass monitor in front of Bruce and began tapping it in random places, making those places glow. "That's what I thought, Spanky. Most monsters are made by accident, but sometimes it is hereditary. So, did your parent's show any signs of shape-shifting?"

Bruce looked up at the monitor as the other worked on it, peering over the man's shoulders to get a peek. "N-no. No. At least, I don't think so..."

"Hm... Been bit by anything? Dogs, Hobos...?"

"I can't remember."

"Darn. That means we can't rule-out shifter. . ." Tony flipped something in his hand. "Allergic to anything?"

Bruce narrowed his eyes at the object hidden in Tony's hand. "Why, so you can kill me?"

"No, just trying to determine what you are. Most monsters have an adverse reaction to some things. Mostly silver, salt, and holy water; covers all the bases. But you passed all the tests with nothing. Just wanted to make sure you weren't something standard. You might be pagan... How old are you Spanky?"

"Stop calling me that. I'm 34," Bruce answered as Tony turned back to the monitor.

"Gotta call you something. You won't tell me your name." Tony pushed a few more buttons. "Hrm... Too young to be something pagan…"

"Why do you even care about finding out what I am? You didn't seem too keen on asking questions earlier."

"I _care _because if what you are is contagious I won't be able to let you go in good faith that you won't cause more monsters." He pushed some more buttons. "I'm sorry about earlier; it's routine. I didn't do anything that would have really hurt a human; just enough for it to seem super random and a bit scary. I deal with things that should not be allowed to see the light of day. That hurt people. I have to make sure you won't hurt people."

Bruce gaped at him. "What do you mean, contagious? What do you mean, 'cause more monsters'? How was that considered a 'routine' practice?! How is any of this normal?!" Bruce scoffed and shook his head. "This is insane," he muttered as he looked up at the ceiling. "And what in the world is that carved into the ceiling?!"

"It's a devil's trap." Tony said automatically.

"Look, I'm just a normal guy, alright? I had a job like a normal guy, I had a home like a normal guy, and then I wake up three months ago in a crater, parts of people and buildings all around me! Do you still want to continue to go on and talk to me about how this is just a routine for you?!" He snarled.

Tony sighed and walked over to Bruce, and then proceeding to sit on a rolly chair he pulled from the darkness. "Look, I know this is confusing. Hell, I was thrust into this mess just like you were." Tony ran a hand across his face and tried to compose his thoughts. "There are things out there. Scary things. Horror movie things. Every classic monster you have ever heard of, and some you haven't even dreamed of, is real. All of it. Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, you name it, I've probably killed it. Most of the time these guys live just under the radar. They try really, really hard not to get noticed and cover up their tracks under an unsolved death or two. But I can't stand by and let monsters go around killing people. There are innocent people like you who should never have to know that Dracula and the Wolfman are right next door getting ready to eat them. I try to remove these nightmares from the world. Now, if I can figure out what you are, I may be able to cure you. There are lots of monsters that come about from curses; maybe you pissed off a witch or something. I don't know... If I can't completely cure you, I can at least get you to a point where you won't hurt anyone."

Bruce gripped the arm of his chair in a fist and started to shake, rattling the chair along with him. "You think that you can 'cure me' or at least 'get me to a point where I won't hurt anyone'?" he growled through gritted teeth. "Getting me to the point where I won't hurt anyone would only mean my death, which is _impossible_! You don't think I've already tried?! I've tried _everything_ just to die! And each time I kept waking up with more death around me in a whole new location!"

Bruce paused, wide-eyed at how he had gotten to such an angered state. He took a few breaths and looked away. "I... I can't stop getting angry all of the time. I-if you really think that you can kill me, go ahead and try. I promise that you won't like the results."

Tony paused and looked around the room. "Well, I tried killing you; not gonna do that again until I know what will work. JARVIS, note that Spanky gets angry quickly and often. See if anything matches that. And I mean anything. Mind sharing any other bits of information? I mean, you seem to have exhausted science, so why not try some magic? Or counter-spells at least. You're blood is mildly corrosive, so it's difficult to study it."

Tony leaned closer to Bruce, a hand hovering over his arm in attempted comfort. "Come on, help me get you stable. Honestly, you're lucky I found you first. Other hunters would take your head off before you had a chance blink."

"Calling me Spanky isn't helping the situation," Bruce muttered. "My name is Robert Banner. Call me Bruce. And magic? I don't know any of that. I...I'm a gamma physicist. I only know science."

"Well, Bruce," Tony rubbed his hands together. "Like I said, there is more to the world than what the common man knows. Lots of scary things, but a few cool things too. Now I'm not a witch, 'cause I kill those, but I know my way around a summoning spell, or a counter spell. If you were cursed to be in this state, then I can find a spell to break the curse. So if you're cursed... Ate anything odd? Oo, maybe you pissed off a god... that never ends well. Maybe a trickster? How were you before this? Were you angry? Did people want you to be more assertive? Did you wish to be stronger? Take some bad steroids at the gym? I can go on."

"Do you ever stop?" Bruce leaned his head back and groaned. He looked back at him. "Look, like I said: I only know science. I don't know any tricksters; I don't know anything about spells, or curses, or anything! I don't know what else I can say." He frowned and looked down at his restraints. "Will you let me out of this already? It's starting to cut into my skin."

"Only if you promise not to transform into a giant again and crush me." Tony offered. "As a sign of good faith?"

Bruce looked him dead in the eyes. "I can't control it, remember?"

"Sure you can." Tony said, hand hovering over the glowing panel. "You're not a monster right now, are you? You've got this. First step is to try right?"

Bruce let out a snort. "I'm not sure if you are just _that_ trustworthy of a guy, or if you are incredibly stupid. I promise that I won't try to kill you if I can control it."

"Good, good, 'cause there is a list a mile long for my head and I know quite a few people who would be very angry at you for cutting in line." Tony said and pushed a button on the panel. Suddenly the clamps slid away and Bruce was free. "Name's Tony. Welcome to the powder keg."


	2. What is My Life?

"Now, the madness begins." Tony patted Bruce lightly on the back and led him out of the dark room and into a much brighter, much larger room where one of the walls was just a large window showing off a cityscape. The other walls were too far away to really determine what was on them. The room was relatively bare, with plenty of floor space and a sunken living room at one end and a full kitchen on the other.

"Like the view?" Tony said behind Bruce. Tony was pulling a box off of the door frame, making a thin blue light vanish from the door frame. He pocketed the box and began walking towards the kitchen.

Bruce walked towards a window and paused in the middle of the room. He looked out the window, turning his head to and fro to get a better view. "Yeah, sure." He turned to look at the hunter. "Where are we exactly?"

"Ah... Tony looked in a cabinet for a second and pulled out a bottle and gave it a good sniff. "New York. I only keep scotch in New York. You want a glass?"

"New York." Bruce said with the best straight face he could make. "We were in Arkansas when I was last awake."

"Yeah, well." Tony took a sip with one hand and pulled the box out of his pocket with the other. "This thing is still kinda temperamental. It's a...Portable safe house. Put it up and it opens a pocket dimension where, if anything goes south, I can leave a monster in for a while. It has some teleportation properties so that I can get back home, but which home is up for debate. Plus it makes travel so much more discrete"

"So you... put me in a pocket dimension." Bruce smacked his lips together. "Do you have any vampires in Indiana too?"

"Nah, it would be a waste of resources. It's difficult to keep track of more than a few dimensions. It makes for a great portable lab too. Can't have everyone in my Hunter space."

Bruce shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is my life?" he muttered.

"It's a mess now, my friend." Tony smiled and handed Bruce an unasked for drink. "But no one gets into this business with a level head. It's always 'Werewolves ate my sister!' or 'My neighbor was a pagan god this whole time!' or 'Uncle Bill is a ghost and he won't stop reading my email!' Really, you're getting the routine deal."

Bruce frowned at the drink and, after a moment of contemplation, put it on the coffee table. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't really think that's a good idea right now."

"Suit yourself, but this business runs on alcohol." Tony took another long drink and sat on a couch. "So tell me about you. Where ya from? Any enemies?"

Bruce moved over to the other side of the table and sat down stiffly on the other chair. "I'm from New Mexico. I was a research physicist at University of New Mexico. I..." He frowned and put his chin on the top of his folded hands. "I don't really remember having any enemies. It's not like I talk to people a lot. I usually just kept to myself."

"Okay, that matches with the first incident... What was the very last thing you remember before crater town?"

Bruce sighed and put his head in his hands, rubbing them up and down his head. "I... remember going to work. I was working on this generator outside of the school's main campus for a few months now. There was... there was something... Something went wrong. Everything hurt. When I came to, everyone was... dead." He let out a soft, sad laugh. "You know, I thought that I was lucky to be alive. I found out how much that was a lie after the police showed up. They kept questioning me; pushing me. I panicked. I got scared, and then... then I got really mad." He looked back up at Tony. "I woke up later in a different state."

"Hm... So it is likely to assume that the experiment did this to you. Sounds to me that something decided to keep you alive..." Tony breathed in heavily. "This maybe more complicated than I thought..."

"Oh, how lovely," Bruce muttered as he rolled his eyes and laid back into the couch.

"Hey I'm not out of ideas yet." Tony scoffed. "Talk to anyone strange at a crossroads before the accident?"

"A crossroads...no. I don't even remember how the accident happened. I just remembered something... wrong happening."

"Well that's good. That means that this might not be your fault. Option two is you might be possessed, temporarily of course." Tony mused a little. "An entity could have a tracing spell on you that activates when you are threatened... That influence might also explain the anger... But you didn't react to the salt or holy water, and you could leave the devil's trap. Of course that was also when you were human..."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that a demon might be possessing you whenever you feel threatened. It could be that they want you alive at any cost, and to ensure that, they possess you, mutate you, and decimate everything in a ten mile radius to make sure you are safe."

"Then what can we do about it?"

"We go to the tattoo parlor and get you an anti-possession tattoo."

Bruce frowned. "I'm sorry; I can't tell if you're using sarcasm here or not. At this point, I'm not really sure what is real and what isn't."

"Come on Brucie-boy, no self-respecting hunter goes a-hunting without one. Demon's don't need permission after all."

"And what happens if I start to bleed?"

"Hm... Maybe we should try a temporary. Oh, henna, that will last for a few days. It would give us a chance to experiment with it. I mean, preferably you would get a more permanent solution, but if the henna one works, we can get you the real one."

"As much as I'd like to say that experimenting is probably a bad idea, I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Well, either I try to cure you or I dump you in a pocket dimension for the rest of eternity. You know, since killing you won't work."

Bruce suddenly glared and sat up straight, his hands curled into fists. "I'd like to see you try, you little shit." Bruce's eyes went wide after he realized what he said and he looked over at the hunter and curled into himself. "Sorry! I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to say that."

"It's okay buddy, I've been called worse." Tony patted Bruce lightly on the shoulder. "I'll make a few calls and see if I can get someone up here to give you some ink, then I'll see if I know anyone who might have a clue about what you are. In the meantime make yourself at home. You must be hungry, order whatever you want, just pick up the phone and tell them what you want and reception will take care of the rest."

"T-Thanks, Tony."

* * *

Ten years ago...

Tony groaned on a hard metal table in the dark. He did not know where he was or what was really going on. Everything hurt and he could not seem to move.

"Well then, what do we have here?" A smooth voice echoed through the darkness. "A broken man in such a sorry state."

Tony shot up from his position and instantly regretted it. His sore muscles strained from the restraints he was put under and he felt himself gasp the rest of his air from his lungs from the pain. He fell back to the table and rolled his head. "Ugh. Don't get me wrong, stranger-danger; I've been in worse spots than this."

"Oh I would hesitate to make that claim." The man stepped forward and brushed the palm of his hand over the man's chest, making a few ribs crack under the slight pressure. "You are just a step beyond death's door."

Tony let out a groan from the pressure. "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one-"

"You would have one useless nickel," The man interrupted, "if you were given one for every time that statement has been uttered in truth. You are dead Mr. Stark. Or was, I woke you to offer an...opportunity."

"That's impossible." Tony laughed a little, but it turned into a cough. "People can't raise the dead."

"No, but a demon can." The man smiled down at Tony; as he did his eyes turned pitch black. "I am Loki. And I have come to offer you a deal."

"Go to Hell."

"All in good time, my friend. All in good time. And when I do, I suspect you will be coming with me."

"Oh yeah, what makes you think that?"

"With your record Stark, I doubt that Heaven will welcome you. An arms dealer, really? The Merchant of Death entering the pearly-white gates. You have so much blood on your hands; I find it hard to believe Heaven will just forget all of the innocent lives you helped kill; all of the souls you have profited from."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Ugh, blah blah blah. Get to the point already. Are all demons such showboaters?"

"Very well. I offer the standard bargain. I shall free you, and you will be healed and home. And in return you will be mine to do with as I please in ten years time. How does that sound?"

"Oh come on. You know I'm worth much more than that."

"Maybe in this world, but a human soul is a human soul. Honestly are you in a position to negotiate?"

"Immortality or nothing." Tony coughed. "If I'm selling my soul I'm got to make sure it's damn worth it. Oh and it better be the kind where I don't age or anything. I don't want to be tricked into being a living skeleton or anything cheap like that."

Loki laughed. "Immortality is a heavy burden, and what would I get for my bargain?" He paused. "Fifteen years and you do as I command all the while."

"I'm Tony Stark! I'm my own boss for a reason…Twenty years of immortality and in exchange I'll give you some stock options. My stock went up fifty points yesterday. You could use some cash right? Can't buy fancy scarves like that with souls now can you?"

Loki laughed and shook his head. "I shall grant you immortality, if that is what you wish," Loki placed his hand on the table, "but only as long as it pleases me. You will be given at least ten more years, as a grace period; after that, well, that depends on you. In exchange, you will do as I command for as long as you live after the ten years. This is my final offer. You either take it now, or I return you to death and you can take your chances with the powers that be. You are in no position to bargain any further."

"I'm in an interesting position for some of the women I've come across," Tony nodded towards the restraints. Loki continued to stare, seemingly unimpressed. "Fine. You know what? You've got a deal. I still have stuff to do, places to go, women to see, demon scum like you to kill. I'm Tony Stark. You know that I'll find a way to kill you eventually. You know, since I'm the Merchant of Death and all that."

"Now I do not like threats Mr. Stark..." Loki purred and placed a hand over the man's chest. "But a deal is a deal. Brace yourself; I have never been known to be gentle."

"I like it rough," he smirked.

"Oh, I think I am going to like you." Loki suddenly pushed his hand deeper and deeper into Tony's chest. His hand was practically on Tony's beating heart before he suddenly pulled his hand back. Then everything felt better. No more broken bones, no more internal bleeding or severe head trauma. He felt better than new. The restrains suddenly broke and Tony stood up. It was then that he noticed the soft blue glow coming from his chest.

Tony put his hands up to his chest and placed them gently on the blue light.

"Here is our deal, Stark, just so we are clear." Loki smiled. "I like you; I think you will be interesting. So as we agreed, you will be immortal for as long as I wish, ten years at the very least though. But remember, once that time is up, you will be all mine. Live, die; it is all my desire. You could live ten more years, maybe a hundred, we'll see how long you keep my interest. But just to make sure you do not go anywhere." Loki put his hand over the blue glow. "I've displaced your soul. It is right here, right where I can see it; right where I can take it whenever I want."

Tony glared. "You know, I'm pretty sure that's not how contract law works. What happens if I say no?"

"You have already said yes." Loki then pulled Tony close and kissed him softly. The moment their lips touched, Tony knew something was wrong. It was not the fact that he was kissing a man, a few drunken New Years parties had already pushed the borders of this comfort zone farther than the average man, but it was something more profoundly wrong with the act. He felt down in his very being that this deal was a mistake. He knew, even more than he knew his own name, that his soul was no longer his own; that he belonged to this demon for the rest of time. It made him feel sick, like he wanted to run away and hide and pretend this was just a bad dream. Tony tried to grab the man's shoulders to push him away and break the bargain, but Loki held him too tight. Another punch of power broke Tony's efforts and shook his being again with that broken feeling like he just betrayed the world. Right when Tony managed to push away, he realized he was back in his mansion. "Sealed with a kiss, Mr. Stark." Loki tapped his lips. "All official now."

Tony looked around at his newest location and scratched his head. "Well, shit. What do I do now?"

"Live, laugh, love," Loki smiled. "Entertain me. As a hint, I do love bloodshed. Maybe a few pranks at other's expense?"

"Nah, that's not really my style," Tony smirked. "Being killed by my own weapons has me thinking that maybe my company should be going in a more... less-lethal direction."

"Well, either way. I look forward to your show. I might just have to throw some things your way just to keep things interesting. A few murders for you to solve perhaps?"

"Listen here!" Tony looked up at Loki with a glare. "The deal was to bring me back to life not take lives! I'm not playing your games if it means hurting more people! You leave me and humanity alone or I'll-"

"You will what?" Loki said, hand halfway pulling out Tony's soul. Tony let out a gasp as the light stretched. "You will kill me? You will make me regret ever finding an interest in you? I told you, I. Do Not. Like. Being. Threatened!" Loki painfully shoved Tony's soul back into place, making Tony lose his balance and fall.

Tony cried out and clenched his chest. "You son of a bitch," he rasped. "If you harm another human life in these games of yours, I'll drag you out of Hell and personally kick your ass!"

"That will not be necessary, dear Stark, you will be in Hell with me." Loki smirked. "I will be keeping an eye on you. If you ever get stuck on one of my games just give me a call. And if you step out of line," Loki smiled. "I'll send Fenrir to come collect." Tony could not see it but he could hear a soft sinister growl right behind Loki. It was the first time he had heard it, but deep down he knew it belonged to only one thing: a Hellhound.

His eyes widened at the sound and Loki's smile grew wider. With a haunting laugh, Loki disappeared from the room, leaving Tony alone with the fainting sound of laughter and growls. What kind of messed up world had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Tony looked on as Bruce was getting the henna tattoo in the other room. It took him a while to find someone willing to come out and do it no questions asked. Not many felt comfortable applying what looked to be occult symbols on a random guy. Granted it really was occult symbols on a random guy, but they did not need to know that.

"Loki." Tony said flatly. He did not need to wait long for the familiar feeling of dread and sass to fill the air, signifying his presence. "Was this you?"

Tony could feel the demon's smug smile. "Perhaps. Does it not interest you?"

Tony glared at the demon and then walked to the other side of the bar and started pouring another drink. "I gotta say that I've never seen anything like this; it's a real head-scratcher."

"I aim to please. This should keep us both entertained for a while." Loki said proudly.

"Now fix him."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Tony thudded the bottle onto the counter and quickly shot his drink back. He put the glass down and leaned onto the counter with his hands. "Oh, you know what I mean. Screwing with innocent people for the hell of it? Where do you get off?! Change him back to normal. Now!"

"Watch your tone, Stark, you do not command me. Your promised ten years are up; I command you now and forevermore." Loki sighed heavily. "And besides, the usual fare was beginning to bore me." Loki began to pace around the room. "Vampire here, shifter there, the occasional ghost or demon. It was just getting so very predictable. I assumed I did this man a favor. I saved his life, after all!"

"Why do I have the feeling that you were the one who put his life in danger in the first place?"

Loki grinned slightly. "Fenrir might have caused a bit of a panic in collecting one of your friend's associates, yes. But I did my part and helped the good Doctor the best I could given how much radiation he was exposed to. I would consider that a good deed. His selection was pure coincidence, however. He saved your life actually; I was going to come collect you next. But his presence, as well as other circumstances, changed my mind."

"Getting bored of me already, are you? I didn't know demons have such a short attention span."

"When you do something so much as to have a formula, a routine, it does get a bit dull. I can only watch you hunt ghosts for so long before I begin to think watching you fill out paperwork is more entertaining."

"Well, you got your chance to see a good show. Now fix this."

"You want me to cure him?" Loki shook his head with a smile. "No."

"And why not?"

"I have use of him. And besides, I cure him, and the gamma-radiation within him will kill him very slowly and very painfully. I assume you do not want another death on your hands." Loki stole a glance over to Bruce. "Now if he were willing to make a deal, that would be different story entirely."

Tony's glare deepened. "You've been planning this all along, haven't you?"

"Just a nudge in the right direction here and there; making sure you would find him first… making sure that he would stay alive long enough for you to find him. Nothing but setting up the game. Now it's time to see where the dice fall."

"I'm not going to leave his side. If you want to make a deal with him, I'll be there to talk him out of it."

"Well if he is willing to make a deal, by all means, let me know. But that would be the boring end to this story. I would rather see him struggle. Unlike you in that cave, he has a way out. He can learn to control himself if he gives it some effort. He might actually come as a use to you; I know I have plans for him. And I do get bored of you only talking to those machines of yours. You could use some friends to spice things up."

"If you aren't going to help out in anyway, you can get the hell out of my house."

"You called me here, Stark, don't forget that. I told you I would give you a hint if you got stuck, so here you go." Loki paused. "He is human, Stark. Well, as close to human as he is going to get. And no amount of science or magic can cure him. You can either kill him, and trust me, if you want to, I will gladly make sure it will work; or you can struggle with him and give me a show. Besides, if he kills you I'll just bring you back to life and you can try again. I did promise you immortality, after all."

"Great, thanks for the info. Have a safe flight home, dear."

"Oh I will, darling." Loki waved and vanished before Tony's eyes. "Entertain me, Stark, and be a good boy."


	3. Well, that was fun

A minute after Loki vanished, Bruce walked up to Tony and stood in the doorway of the other room with the symbol on his arm still fresh.

"Uh, hey. Your friend says he's done," he said softly, making Tony come back to reality. Bruce stuck out his arm. "This is what you wanted, right?"

Tony blinked slowly, seeming to break his frazzled state and looked at the mark. "Yeah that should keep a demon out." Tony threw the Henna man a wad of bills wrapped in a rubber band and the man walked to the elevator to leave. "It would be better over your heart, though. I'll buy a kit for next time. It took a crazy amount of money just to get him to do your arm."

Bruce's eyes widened. "That was lot of ... I'm sorry. I don't have any money, but I'll pay you back somehow. Really. Please don't spend any more money on me."

Tony almost laughed at Bruce's reaction. "What, that? That was nothing. Mostly hush money since I don't want anyone finding out I got a random hobo an occult tattoo in my house. The media would have a field day if they found out. Trust me, I have money to burn."

"You say that like you're a celebrity or something."

"Well, my name is on the building."

"Uh, sorry. I couldn't get a good view of the outside while I was unconscious and tied up," he muttered. "Wait, a rich man named Tony? ...You're Tony Stark," Bruce answered himself. He sighed and put his hands behind his head, turning away. "A celebrity that leads a double-life as a demon hunter. Just when you thought you saw it all."

"Yeah, Double-O me. Living a secret life of action and adventure." Tony shook his head. "Nah, I mostly provide recon and funding and stuff. Occasionally I hunt, but only when I know I can handle it or I want to know what something is, like your case."

"Speaking of that, you were saying something about talking to someone who might have a clue about me?"

Tony paused. "Yeah... I spoke to him while you were in make-up. He's never heard of a demon possessing someone so much as to create a mutation. I think this might be something new. Something, not magical, or supernatural. Maybe the accident?"

Bruce pursed his lips and put his hand to his chin. "Maybe... do you have any idea what we could do to get that information?"

"Well for starters we could check your old work. I mean that's where you were normal last, right? If this were a normal hunt, I would start at the scene of the crime." Tony began walking down a hallway and Bruce followed. "We'll look there for clues, maybe figure out what happened to you. I'll bring some sensors and we'll see what we find."

"Well, that would be a good idea, except for the fact that I'm kind of public enemy number one over there. Do you really want to be seen walking around with a suspect in several mur-... crimes? Unless you have a solution for that, of course."

"Hey, from all the news and police reports on the event they have no idea who or even what did this. You, as Bruce Banner, is, for all intents and purposes, missing in action. I've been following you for months and I still didn't know what you even looked like. It'll be fine." Tony opened up one door and Bruce followed him inside. "Besides, everyone trusts a man in a suit." Tony opened up a closet door revealing row after row of freshly pressed suits. "Pick one out that fits and matches your eyes. Then take a shower. That way you won't look and smell like a hobo."

"I'm gonna ignore that last comment in favor of saying thanks," Bruce said as he walked into the closet.

Bruce caught Tony fiddling with the strange block when he came out in a fresh dark suit smelling like expensive soap and aftershave. "Well don't you look like a million bucks. I've got our transportation all ready to go."

Bruce looked at the block in Tony's hand with a grimace. "That might end badly if the 'transportation' is too... much for someone like me to take."

Tony made a face and looked from the block to Bruce and back. True, the teleportation was a bit temperamental at times. He was man enough to admit that his spell-work was never 100%. "Alright plan B. Jarv, get the limo and tell the airport to get my plane ready for takeoff in 30."

"Right away, sir."

"This whole thing isn't going to be seen by the public-eye or anything, right? I mean... the suits, the limo, a plane... it's just, I don't know. Kind of conspicuous, right?"

"Well a bit. But as it turns out, your old lab is a subsidiary of one of my branch companies, so in a roundabout way, I own it. It would be only natural for me to make an appearance and survey what happened so that," Tony pulled out his phone. "'We can work to prevent such a horrible tragedy in the future and build a brighter tomorrow for us and for our children.' Or something like that."

Bruce snorted at Tony's remark. "Okay, okay. I believe you. Let's just get going."

"Alright. Oh, and before I forget." Tony rushed up to Bruce and quickly fastened a clip-on name tag to his lapel. "From now on you are the co-head of my R&D department. That should keep some eyes off of you, Dr. Spankinski." Tony could not help but smile at the code name.

"You really enjoy flirting with danger, don't you?" Bruce felt a small smile curl on his lips.

"Me and danger are friends with benefits." Tony smiled and led the pair to the elevator. "Come on, your limo awaits."

Down stairs Bruce and Tony were met by a nearly abandoned lobby. Sure there were people buzzing about here and there, but most seemed to keep their distance upon seeing the boss. Once outside Tony quickly jumped into the open limousine door, with Bruce right behind him. Suddenly the door closed by itself and the car began instantly. They did not even make eye contact with anyone on the way there.

"So, before we get there, I was wondering if I could take a look at your computer. What did you call it, JARVIS?" Bruce asked. "I mean, if not, its fine, but I thought maybe I should take a crash course in... demonology. Before we get there, I mean."

"Oh, yeah sure. Probably for the best you find out what is real and what isn't." Tony fished a tablet from between the seats and handed it to Bruce. "Jarv, make a profile for Bruce. You tell him everything he needs to know. Give him hunter clearance."

"With pleasure, sir," JARVIS answered as the tablet came to life. Bruce squinted his eyes at the sea of text that flooded the screen. "This is going to take me a while," he muttered as Tony leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

Even upon arriving at Tony's private air strip, Bruce still did not look up from the tablet. Tony guided him silently and made sure he did not hurt himself or drop the tablet. After a good couple of hours, the pilot spoke over the intercom and announced that the plane would be landing in twenty minutes within two miles of the research lab. Bruce finally looked up and handed the tablet back to Tony's free hand, the other holding a glass of scotch. Tony frowned.

"Can you just put it down there?"

Bruce looked a bit confused, but nodded and put it down unquestioningly.

"I think that's the best I'm going to get for now. Once we land I should be able to point us in the right direction." Bruce sighed. Tony finished his drink and handed it back to the stewardess, who pointed at the fasten seat belt sign with a stern face. He caught himself mid-eye roll and snapped his belt on, giving her a wink. The stewardess smiled and returned to her own seat at the front of the plane.

When the plane landed, Bruce was able to find the right direction to go and the two grabbed their bags and got into the sports car that was waiting for them. They were stopped about a half mile from the scene by investigators.

"Excuse me, that's about as far as you can go, gentlemen," one of them called out to the two. "This site is under investigation for a serious health violation. I'm going to have to ask you to turn back."

Tony rolled down the window and held up a piece of paper. "Yeah, we're from corporate here to examine the area and assess the damages and blah, blah, you know the drill."

"I'm going to need to see some identi- Mr. Stark! I'm sorry, sir. Please continue in this direction," the investigator flustered. Tony waved him off and drove on.

They drove up just a few minutes more and Tony waved off the other investigators on site. After some protest, the two were finally alone right outside of the destroyed lab.

"Wait, Tony," Bruce called when Tony started to walk into the site. "I wanted to thank you...for everything that you've done, but I can't ask you to keep going with me." Tony gave him a frown and Bruce interrupted before he could answer. "I looked up my file. I... I don't remember what happens to me when I...leave... and I wanted to see what I...become, so I looked it up and," Bruce looked the hunter in the eyes. "I can't ask you to be around me anymore. I appreciate all that you've done, but this is way over my head...over your head. Please just leave me alone to do this myself."

Tony stifled a laugh and grabbed Bruce by the shoulder. "Ah, Bruce. That's funny. That really is." Tony looked him square in the eye. "You would not last a second in monster town without me. You're too new to go alone in the hunter world now. I don't care if you get mean and green; it's too much. Trust me. We're in this together." Tony patted him twice before walking ahead. "Besides, I'm too handsome to die."

Bruce licked his bottom lip. "You might not think that way soon," he muttered under his breath.

He followed Tony inside the half-destroyed building and walked to the main room that showed the cause of the destruction. The building was still standing, although on its last legs. Cracks and holes in the walls allowed some light to shine through the darkened room as Bruce walked over to the side wall and flicked on the light switch. Sparks blasted from some of the fixtures, but otherwise there was still a dim glow bright enough to see in the dark corners of the room that the natural light could not reach. "Well, that's lucky. What should we be searching for, exactly?"

"I don't know, radiation or something. That's what you were working on, right?" Tony pulled out his tablet again and activated a sensor he pulled from his bag and began waving it around the building. "Where were you last?"

"In front of the reactor in the middle of the room, right... well, it was right here," Bruce pointed to the remains of the reactor. "The last thing I remember about this place was that I was working on this. Then everyone started panicking all of the sudden."

"Okay, and then it exploded or something?"

Tony walked over to where Bruce was pointing. He made a face at the data readings and pushed on the tablet screen.

"You were working with gamma radiation, right?" Tony flipped a few switches. "Do you know if anyone else, well, survived?"

"I... When I woke up, the police arrived. When they were questioning me, they told me everyone was... dead. So, no, nobody survived except me. Aren't I lucky?" Bruce asked sarcastically, softly.

"Very, actually. There's not a single bit of radiation left here! I mean there should be something, even a little bit, but there is nothing. It's all gone."

Bruce let out a dry laugh at first but then tensed. "Wait, are you sure it wasn't just from the place getting cleaned out after the accident? How can there be absolutely nothing there?"

"If the radiation in here was enough to kill someone, there would at least be some residue. But there's none. Even cleaning can't get rid of all of it."

"So you're saying that I... took it all? I absorbed it and became that?" Bruce got up from his place by the broken reactor and walked over to another part of the lab. "How is that even scientifically possible? Wait a second," he turned and walked back over to Tony. "Your friend, that guy you phoned while I was getting inked; you said that he was an expert on the supernatural and couldn't think about how this could be a supernatural cause, right? Well, if this isn't scientifically possible, then we're going to have to assume its supernatural, right?" Bruce started pacing. "However, after reading through your notes, which I assume contain about as much information as can be figured by someone who does this kind of thing on a regular basis, I couldn't find anything close to something like this happening. If you told your friend everything I told you before; how there was a lab accident with gamma radiation and what I am now, then wouldn't he be able to figure out what exactly this situation is? What other category besides science or supernatural is there?"

Tony paused then sighed. "Honestly... There is no reason it can't be both. A supernatural entity using magic to help the flow of science. In this case, possibly making you a sponge for gamma radiation. It's rare, but not impossible. I use magic and science all of the time. They blend rather well. Magic is more of an unutilized force than something crazy; though the rules are completely random really. There are so many dependencies that it's almost impossible to predict."

"So, how can we test this? There's no one around to get answers from and my blood is- did you hear something?"

Tony stood there silent, but heard nothing.

Just as Bruce was ready to brush it off, the sound of a chunk of metal dropping to the floor clanked out. The two whipped their heads towards the now occupied doorway. Three wolf-like creatures stalked into the light, their teeth snarled and their eyes completely black.

"Werewolves?" Tony backed up a step from shock but quickly began feeling for his small silver knife. He was not expecting a fight here, but a hunter always has a little something just in case.

"No, I don't think so; they don't look right. They have black eyes like a demon…I've never seen anything weird out here before," Bruce said, his voice starting to give away his declining composure.

"What, both at the same time?" Tony shouted back. He was beginning to not like this theme.

"M-maybe they were drawn here by the accident?"

"Well silver, salt, and holy water. Works for just about everything, let's see if it works here." Tony waited for one of the beasts to charge before giving them a quick jab in the back with a silver knife.

The blade made the monster howl. Tony pulled another knife from under his jacket and tossed it to a startled Bruce. "Silver: Effective. Holy water..." Tony pulled a small flask from his breast pocket and poured it into the wound, making the monster howl even louder, this time making the wound steam and burn. "Holy water: also effective... What the hell?"

Tony looked over to Bruce and noticed that the other two monsters were beginning to gang up on him. He quickly threw whatever holy water he had left on the two monsters and grabbed Bruce by the arm and threw him out into the hallway. Tony then ripped open a pouch from his pocket and dumped a salt line across the door frame. The monsters charged but they could not cross the line. "Salt: Effective." Tony shook his head and walked over to where Bruce had fallen. "Well these guys are strange. You okay Bruce?"

Bruce was on his hands and knees on the ground. He let out a groan and dropped his head on the ground. "N-no..."

"What's wrong? Did one of them bite you?"

"You threw a knife at me!" Bruce shouted from his position on the ground while shakily pushing out his arm. Blood was running down it from the elbow, the drops running down his fingertips and burning into the ground.

Tony drew in a sharp breath. "Sorry about that. Look, Bruce, we need to move. I'll get you to a hospital, one who can deal with a few holes in their supplies. Come on buddy, can you get up?"

"No.. y-you need to l-leave... now."

"I can't leave you with three demon-werewolves bleeding out on the floor. They'll rip you apart."

"They're... they're the least of your concerns," Bruce gasped out. He lifted his face to meet Tony's eyes. His eyes were starting to glow green.

Tony did not physically recoil in shock, but he did in his mind. That was not normal, but Bruce was not normal. Tony put a comforting hand on Bruce's shuddering shoulder. "When you come to, call my office. I'll come get you if you're far away, okay?"

Tony got up and left after Bruce was able to give him one last nod. He ran down the halls using the door in the back. He made it to his car just as he heard a roar and a large crash. With one last look, he drove away from the demolished site as the building fell to the ground.

Bruce woke up with a start and instantly regretted it. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his head, shaking dirt off of himself. After a few moments, he pulled himself out of the earth with a groan and grabbed onto the remains of his pants. He looked around at his surroundings and let out a sigh, a bit of relief rushing over him when he did not see a litter of bodies around him. He spotted the looks of civilization several miles away and started heading in that direction.

After what felt like hours of walking with bare feet on the uneven gravel, Bruce cautiously entered the small town. Looking around, he could not see anyone on the street or anything identifying where he was. He spotted a phone booth within the outskirts of town and walked into it. Breaking the phone's wires, he was able to finally hear a dial tone. He tapped in the number he remembered reading in Tony's files and waited as the phone rang.

"Hello, Stark Industries. How can I help you?" A voice promptly said after a few rings.

"Tony? I need to talk to Tony. Tell him its Bruce calling, please."

"Just one moment." The voice replied. The line was silent for a few moments before the voice returned. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark is currently unavailable. Shall I schedule an appointment?"

"No. You didn't even try, did you?"

"I assure you that Mr. Stark is very busy at the moment. Would you like me to leave a message for you?"

"No. I'm on a payphone. Can you just tell him that I called? Thanks." Bruce hung up the phone and kneaded his brow. "Now what?" He got out of the phone booth and looked around, looking for any signs of life.

"Dr. Banner?" A smooth voice said suddenly behind Bruce. He quickly turned to see a dark haired man standing behind him. "Mr. Stark has sent me to collect you."

"But I just called and he didn't ans-. Who are you?"

"I am an associate of Stark's." He gave Bruce a crisp business card. "Luke Laufeyson, Head of Sales. Mr. Stark gave me instructions to look for the man in the torn trousers… Please follow me."

Bruce twirled the card over in his hands. He nodded his head and started walking next to the man. He led Bruce to a very expensive looking black car and quickly took the driver's seat. Bruce took his place in the passenger's seat and before he had put the seat belt on they were speeding down the road.

"So," The man began. "How do you know Mr. Stark?"

"I, uh, we're business partners." Bruce cringed at his excuse, feeling more insecure in his torn up pants then he was before.

The man eyed Bruce up and down as Bruce straightened his pants. "I see... Stark does have a fine taste in friends, doesn't he? Would you mind if I...?" He put his hand over the radio dial.

Bruce nodded and suddenly the radio blared to life in a rapid symphony.

"Ah, I hope classical is alright?" Bruce nodded again, not really paying attention. When the song ended the local news report began. Overall it was nothing but political problems and some sensationalist world news, but the last news story caught Bruce's attention.

"The local lab that had just recently suffered a small meltdown has been demolished today. In a secret decision by the lab's parent company, Stark Industries, the lab was torn down. According to a memo from the CEO, the lab was deemed unsafe and a hazard to the surrounding community. However, Stark Industries is under some scrutiny for this move, as the cleanup crew found traces of what appears to be human remains in the rubble. Though the company has claimed that these are likely the remains of a large animal, Stark Industries will face an investigation until the matter is settled."

Luke looked at the radio and shook his head in disapproval. "Poor things."

Bruce had tensed in his seat. "Yeah, it's always sad to hear about something getting caught up in a bad situation that wasn't really warranted, huh?"

"Well, c'est la vie." He shrugged. "Though it makes you think what could have made Mr. Stark make such a decision. It seems rather sudden."

"I'm sure he had good reasons for doing so."

"I'm sure." Luke smiled politely. "But I heard that something big was found leaving the rubble right after the building went down. No one knows what it was. Some say it was some secret experiment that Stark is trying to cover up."

Bruce's hands started to shake so he curled them into tight fists. "That, heh, that sounds like a conspiracy theory to me... kind of like Area 51 or something," Bruce gave a shaky smile.

"Perhaps." Luke paused. "But perhaps there is more to the world. Perhaps there really are giant green monsters playing as men."

Bruce looked over at Loki and swallowed heavily. "I-I don- Who did you say you were in relation to Tony again?"

"Just an associate, Dr. Banner. We work in similar circles." Luke gave Bruce a smile like a shark. "I am no one of consequence really. Besides, I always like to have a favor or two I can call on."

"Oh, right. Heh, sorry to make you repeat yourself."

"Not at all, Dr. Banner." Luke smiled again and pulled up to a large hotel. "Here we are. Mr. Stark is having a drink in the bar."

"Uh, right. Thanks for the ride." Bruce practically flew out of the car and onto the curb. He would have just run straight through the hotel door but he realized that he was still only in torn-up pants. "It beats staying in the car with him," he muttered to himself as he walked into the lobby and towards the bar, moving swiftly to avoid being stopped by employees. He soon saw the back of Tony's head at the bar. He was the only customer there and Bruce approached as the bartender left. "Tony?"

Tony turned sluggishly to meet Bruce, already half-drunk. If Bruce was not half-naked Tony probably would have hugged him right then and there. It was probably the alcohol talking when Tony began. "Bruce, 's that you? Aw man Bruce, are you okay? It's almost all day. What happen?"

"I..." Bruce frowned and sat next to him on a bar stool. "I woke up several miles from what seemed to be an abandoned town. I called you from a phone booth, but I was told that you were busy. You know, normal secratary talk to get you to go away. When I got out, your associate said that you sent him to drive me to you."

"Damn secretaries, give me their name, I'll fire 'em." Tony slurred and put an arm around Bruce. "Let's get back up to the room. I'll order pizza or something. I would kill for a pizza right now. Wait, who picked you up?"

"Luke Laufeyson, head of sales."

Tony gave Bruce a blank stare, then his face twisted into a grimace, but he hid it quickly. "Right...Luke. Ha, head of sales... Okay great, whatever. How do you like your pizza?"


	4. Come again?

Tony sat in the hotel room drinking again while Bruce was taking a shower. Nothing about that day sat right with him, nothing went as planned.

"Loki you bastard, show yourself." Tony said slightly drunk again. Suddenly Loki materialized in the empty chair next to Tony, drink in hand. "Or should I say, Luke, head of sales."

"I believe I should be congratulated for my promotion Stark." Loki said as he took a sip of his drink. "And I believe a thank you is in order for retrieving your friend."

"No, I don't think so. I told you that I didn't want you to go near him. What did you do, you dick?"

Loki looked at Tony and rolled his eyes. "I told you to not to call me when you are intoxicated." He put a hand to Tony's head and painfully forced Tony through his buzz and subsequent hangover in a matter of seconds. Tony let out an agonizing groan and fell back in his chair blinking the pain away and trying to focus his now sober mind. Loki smiled triumphantly at his work. "Now to answer your question, I merely gave you something simple to play with; a team building exercise. I had my employees possess some werewolves. It would have been a simple hunt; they were weak to just about everything. I did not expect him to lose control so quickly. You should have him work on that. Though that other side of him made nice work of my creation. It was very interesting."

Tony narrowed his eyes at him. "Quick question: can you be any more of a dick?"

Loki smirked. "Keep flirting with me and you'll have to take me out to dinner."

"Don't be an asshole. I don't know what your game is, but don't screw with him anymore. Ever. Again."

"You are making me jealous, Stark, caring about him like that. I'm just trying to stave off boredom. You are only alive because I have plans for you. It would be wise to remember that. I am only trying to help the poor man gain control of himself. He'll be worthless to the both of us if he cannot manage something as simple as that."

"He wouldn't have to try to gain control if it weren't for you in the first place!"

"He would be dead if not for me. And you would be in Hell."

"He told me that he'd rather be dead than kill anyone." Tony straightened up and walked over to Loki's seat, glaring down at him. "You can drag me to Hell one day but you better watch your back because you can make damn sure that I'll be coming for you. You caused the accident to happen in the first place anyway."

"Ooo, I'm shaking, Stark. I helped here and there to keep that man alive from an accident I may or may not have caused. Was it my fault that his friends sold their souls in college to be doctors? I was there when it happened; he wanted to live at any cost. Humans are never satisfied with their lot."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have Bruce come out here and introduce you to him as the guy who ruined his life? I'm sure he'll take it well."

"As much as I would love to knock heads, I doubt you have told him that his predicament is partly your fault. He was made for the both of us, after all. Have you told him you have sold your soul?"

Tony grimaced. "No, because that has nothing to do with him. This is about him, not me."

Loki paused and shook his head. "It's all connected, Tony-dear. Perhaps fate was at work? Perhaps he was destined for this, as you were destined to sell your soul to me."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" Tony shouted as the water in the other room came to a stop.

"The will of Heaven is not for mortals to know, Stark." Loki took one last sip before setting his glass down. "Try to get him to control himself. It is for everyone's best interests."

"Especially yours, pretty-boy."

"Do you really think I'm pretty, Stark?" Loki smirked, batting his eyes. Before Tony could retaliate Loki was gone.

Bruce cracked open the door and peeked out. "Was someone here?"

"No," Tony stammered. "Just me. I was making sure that my offices know who you are so we won't run into that problem again."

"Oh...sorry. I thought I heard a familiar voice. Sorry you had to get upset," Bruce said as he fully opened the door and walked out, sitting in a chair by the desk.

"So do you remember what happened at the lab? How did you get hurt more than the knife? Was it the monsters? Cause if they bit you, you might be a werewolf now."

Bruce paled at Tony's words and flicked his head down to his arm, only to see the injury had completely healed. "I... I think it was just a scratch thankfully, but I can't tell anymore. The mark is gone," he said as he showed Tony his arm.

"Awe, well you're probably immune anyway."

"With the way my luck is going, I'd doubt that." Bruce said. He turned back in his seat when he noticed a blue glow peeking through Tony's shirt for an instant. He squinted his eyes and turned again. "I'm definitely not seeing things. I could never see it before, but I guess it was because you had a darker shirt on, but what is that?" he asked, motioning towards Tony's chest. "If you don't mind me asking," he added quickly.

"Nothing." Tony said quickly putting his hand over his chest. "Just..."

"I'm sorry! That was rude. You don't have to tell me anything. I'm really sorry."

"No, no... This is important." Tony sighed heavily and took off his shirt, revealing the glowing blue circle on his chest. "It's ... my soul."

"Your... your soul. How did that... what happened?"

"I was in an accident, well it was more of an assassination. I was kidnapped and tortured, and eventually, killed. I sold my soul to a demon in order to come back to life. I figured, hey, I'm Tony Stark. I have the best lawyers money can buy; I can get out of this. But I could not convince my lawyers that I had sold my soul or that even Loki was real, and well...then my time ran out. It's been ten years, and it should have been time to collect. But the demon took an interest in me. He said that as long as I entertained him and promised to be useful, he would keep me alive."

"I... I remember reading about that time you were kidnapped but I never knew... I'm so sorry." The two sat in silence for a few moments. "How do you know how much longer you have? Is demon hunting what you do to entertain him?"

"Ah," Tony ran his hands across his face. "He could literally drag me to Hell any second he gets bored of me. I try to hunt to keep him entertained, and he sends some things my way to help spice things up. Like today...Like...you."

Bruce stared at him for a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "I-I'm sorry, what was that?"

"You're... situation...Might be partly my fault..."

"I... explain?"

"The demon, well, as he told me, was collecting some souls from your lab the day of the accident. Apparently, your co-workers cheated and wished their way through college. When his Hell-hound showed up, it caused the accident. When he saw you, he decided to mess with you. He figured, why not, you would have died anyway. So...he made you more receptive to the radiation so that it wouldn't kill you. And this was the result. He then worked things so that I would find you so that we could entertain him." Tony put his head in one of his hands. "Shit man, I'm sorry Bruce... This is all my fault..."

Bruce looked down at his hands in his lap. "So, you've spoken to him some time after I met you?" His voice was eerily quiet.

Tony hesitated. "...You know that guy who picked you up? That was him. His real name is Loki."

"...Can you make him... come here?"

"He shows up when he wants but I can try." Tony cleared his throat and adjusted in his chair. "Loki."

After a few minutes of waiting in silence Tony closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Loki, dear. Someone wants to speak to you, you bastard!"

They sat in silence for a bit longer before Tony sighed in resignation. "Well that usually works."

"...that cowardly son of a bitch," Bruce cursed through his teeth and clenched his fists. "He... he did this to us. He's taking you to Hell and he's made me into a monster," he seethed and looked directly in his eyes. "I'm going to find him."

"No need, darling, I'm right here." Loki's smooth voice answered as he brushed his hand across the side of Bruce's face. Bruce turned around to see Loki standing just behind him. "Sorry I took so long, Tony-dear, I was waiting to see if you two would kiss to try to make me jealous."

Bruce flew out of his seat and stared the demon down. "Who do you think you are, ruining peoples' lives?!"

"I'm a demon, what did you expect?" Loki said through a laugh.

Bruce's glare deepened as his eyes glowed green.

Tony stood up and walked between the two, holding out his arms. "Wait; let's just stop for a second."

"No need to be so protective, Tony." Loki waved his hand and Bruce slammed down back into his chair. He struggled to get up but he was unable to move. "I can handle myself. Now, you wished to speak to me?"

Bruce stopped straining and glared tensely at the demon. "Stop everything you're doing. Turn me back to normal, give Tony his soul back, and stop harming anyone else that you've come into contact with, now."

Loki paused and looked around the room questioningly. "...Or, what? Why in all of Hell should I obey you? You can do nothing to me you pathetic moral fool!" Loki sneered as he slapped Bruce hard in the mouth. "I am a demon! I can do whatever I want! You cannot kill me, you cannot harm me. The worst you can do, you sniveling ape, is destroy my vessel, and I oh so adore this body. You are in no position to make demands."

Bruce tried to bring his breathing back to normal. "There's always a way. You're going to regret doing this to me."

"If I had a penny for every time I heard that I would have more money than Stark." Loki walked over to Tony, who was just standing idly by his chair the whole time. "You see, Stark here has learned how to deal with power," Loki slapped Tony, but Tony only moved his head from the force, he did not move to retaliate. "Haven't you, dear?" Loki pushed Tony to the ground and laughed a bit. "Stark, here is aware when he cannot win. Look at him. At my mercy and he knows it!" Loki continued his display with a swift kick to Tony's stomach.

Tony held back a grimace, keeping his face as blank as he could. He looked up from where he fell on the ground just as Bruce let out a snarl and tried to push himself out of his chair.

"As much fun as this meeting has been, I must be off." Loki smiled patting Bruce on the cheek. "But before I go, a quick word of advice: Try to control the monster. It will make things so much more interesting."

Bruce jerked his head out of Loki's hand and then rammed into him with it. Loki didn't even flinch from the impact. Instead, he just let out a soft chuckle and rustled Bruce's hair. "Why should I listen to anything you say?!" he yelled up at him.

"Because, what other choice do you have?" And with that Loki had vanished. Bruce nearly catapulted out of the chair as he finally managed to stand up. He started pacing within a few feet of his chair, rubbing his face and evening his breathing.

"Well that was fun." Tony said getting up from the floor.

Bruce stopped after a minute more and leaned against the wall with a sigh, slumping his shoulders. "Yeah, he's the life of the party," he said breathlessly and then looked over at Tony. "What do we do now?"

"Entertain him" Tony said, rubbing his stomach. "Do what he says until we find out how to kill him. Nothing else we can do."

"So, we have to just sit here and keep looking behind our backs until he throws more 'entertainment' at us?" Bruce asked, an edge to his voice.

"Well it's not so bad. The guy is a natural at making it all seem like it is your idea. It's honestly hard to know when he's working sometimes." Tony grabbed another drink and took a large gulp. "He can be helpful too. As long as you make it for the game he does not mind helping you cheat here and there."

"I don't think so. I'm not playing his game. That guy's head is a bag of cats. Besides, how is he going to let you run around and find ways to kill him? That's suicide for you."

After a few moments of silence, Bruce let out a sigh and pushed himself off of the wall. "We're going to have to separate. I'll find a way to kill him while you distract him."

"Yeah, that won't work." Tony sighed, refilling his drink. "He'll bring us back together again. Trust me. I've been trying to get away from him and his games for years. You want to know how I'm able to call him without a summoning spell? Because he's listening to me. He's probably keeping an eye on you too now after our little chat."

Bruce licked his lip and walked towards the desk behind Tony. "So, you're saying that we can either: A) stay together in this room and wait for him to drag you to Hell, or B) stay together, go find a way to kill him, and then have him drag you to Hell for trying to kill him."

"Oh, he probably won't kill me for trying to kill him. The masochistic bastard would probably get a kick out of us trying."

"It's... it's still too risky," Bruce said as he got up from his chair and started towards the door. "I'll go on ahead. You just... be careful."

"Bruce wait." Tony turned the drink around in his hand before continuing. "Before you go. Take the bag by the door. There are keys to the car downstairs and a credit card. There are a bunch a weapons and whatever you should need in the trunk. It's not much, but it's my standard hunter starter kit. I hope you can accept it as the start of an apology. It's my fault you got into this mess..."

Bruce stopped at the door and let out a sigh as he turned around to look at him, a soft smile on his lips. "None of this is your fault, Tony. You didn't ask for all of this to happen." He picked up the bag by the door and gave him one last look. "I'm going to turn off the trackers on here so you aren't able to find me... and won't be forced to find me. I'll call you when this is all over."

"Alright. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, Spanky." Tony smiled but Bruce could tell that Tony was a bit broken hearted.

"Tony... listen," he dropped the bag back on the floor and walked over to the other. "You know that we can't stay together for this. Nothing will get done. Actually, the only thing that will get done is whatever he wants; you dying, me killing, and others getting hurt or stuck in our predicaments. I don't know any other way to do this. I'm sorry."

"I know, I know. It's just that... Be careful okay. The last time I tried to get away... people got hurt. Just be careful."

Bruce frowned and leaned against the desk to look Tony in the eyes. "Wait... what do you mean, 'people got hurt'?"

"My...former assistant, Pepper, well, her name is Virginia Potts, but I called her Pepper," Tony said with a sad smile. "Five year ago I started to get scared. It really sunk in that Loki was going to take my soul. So I tried to get him off my tail. Then Loki sent one of his Hell-hounds to get me or ruff me up or something, and I managed to kill it, and man that took some work but it was awesome." Tony laughed sadly. "But then Loki retaliated. He kidnapped Pepper and told me I had three hours to find her. I managed to find her in time, but she was a bloody mess. She was in surgery for nine hours just trying to get her stable. She's still in a hospital in New York in a coma, likely from all of the shock." Tony drummed the glass a little. "I belong to Loki now." Tony said in a sing-song way as he took a long drink. "I stay useful to him and he keeps me immortal, otherwise he'll send me to Hell."

Bruce's face contorted from sadness to fear. "Jesus Christ," he muttered as he flopped down into a chair. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have thought about something like that happening I just…" he swiped his hand over his eyes and let his face lean into it. "Shit. What are we...what can we do? Is there even anything we can do?"

"Try to survive. I've been looking into how to kill a demon, and there are ways, but mostly I would need rare magical weapons that I can't get a hold of. He's powerful, but he loves the game more than anything. He'll keep you alive if he finds it funny. I remember one time I was impaled right here, right through the chest, when hunting Jinn. Loki resurrected me just to see the Jinn flip out in confusion when I got up like a zombie. Granted his face was priceless, but it hurt like hell."

Bruce pulled the tablet out of his pocket and put it on the table. "Show me everything you know so far. We'll leave in the morning."

"Leave? Where do you want to go?"

"To find the weapons!"

"Slow your roll, Brucey-boy. I only know of two weapons that can kill demons and they are in use right now." Tony took another sip. "We can't go borrowing them either."

"I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing."

"Yeah, and I'm not going to take away weapons from hunters who are trying to stop the apocalypse. So we need to first look for another weapon."

"Wait... the apocalypse. The apocalypse? I saw that in your notes but I didn't thi-," he shook his head.

"Yeah, the hunter world is full of fun stuff." Tony sighed.

Bruce sighed. "No. Forget it. Let's just focus on the task at hand. How can we find these kinds of weapons?"

"Right now, we'll just have to see if anything comes up. Network with other hunters, pour over the Lore. Something will come up. But it's a slow process."

"Where do we start?"

"We don't. It'll have to come to us. Most things do in this business."

Bruce just stared at Tony. "Right. Just sit here and do nothing. Of course." He got up and walked over to one of the two beds in the room. "I'm going to sleep then. I haven't slept in... I don't even know." He flipped onto the bed and turned away.


	5. Fast Learner and a Cocky Bastard

Bruce and Tony took Tony's weird magic teleportation box to Tony's Malibu home after spending a month or so tracking down the werewolf pack Loki had possessed. They would have taken the car, but Bruce had accidentally destroyed it while they were hunting a real werewolf that had bit Bruce in the arm while they were in the middle of a tactical retreat. Turned out Bruce was immune to werewolf bites after all, which Tony had to admit would be useful in the future. Bruce was not much of a fighter, so any advantage would be useful.

He was coming into his own with hunting. Bruce could identify monsters quickly and he certainly had a knack for vanishing from plain sight if he needed to hide. Tony was sure that if he ever needed to fall off the map, Bruce could get him out in a couple of days tops, and that was with all the fame that comes with being a business tycoon. But Bruce still did not seem to even want to try to control whatever monster Loki had made him into. Every time he felt a change, he would tell Tony to hide and a few hours to a day later Bruce would come back filthy in shredded pants. Even though it would be exactly what Loki wanted, Tony could not help but think that it would not hurt for Bruce to try to come to terms with what he was.

However, it was now time for Tony to catch up on his work. Living a double life had its drawbacks. The endless amounts of paperwork were one.

Bruce had resigned himself in the mean time to trying to pull whatever was left of his life back together. While they were still in town they raided Bruce's old house and took what they could. Most of it had been cleaned out by the state, but they were able to get a few things. Bruce was updating his old computer with Tony's hunter information when he heard a small tap come from the ceiling.

Bruce paused from his typing, his eyes focusing off of the screen. He sat in silence until he heard another tap, this time just a little louder than before. He looked up at the ceiling.

Bruce's face twisted in slight confusion. There was a man up there crawling slowly across the air ducts. He looked down at Bruce and gave him a small wave and put his finger over his lips in a motion that asked him to stay quiet.

Bruce flew out of his chair. He grabbed a silver knife out of his pocket and he threw it at the man in the air ducts.

The knife bounced off the ceiling and clattered onto the table. The man scrambled past laughing playfully and continued to scuttle across the air duct and jump down so that he was right over the door frame. Tony quietly walked into the room messing with his tablet.

"Hey Bruce, how's the update coming along?"

"Tony, look out!" He yelled and threw himself at Tony, knocking them both down and out of the doorway in the process.

"Bruce, what the hell?" Tony grumbled as he pushed the man off of himself.

"Yeah, Bruce, what the hell?" The intruder said jumping down from his spot above the door and straightening his sunglasses. "I almost had him."

"Clint?" Tony smiled as he pulled himself up. "Why do you insist on sneaking into my house?"

"Like using the doorbell is any fun." The man said with a mischievous smile.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Bruce asked from his spot on the ground. Tony let out a laugh and reached out his hand. Bruce grabbed it and pulled himself from the ground.

"Yeah," Tony said stretching out his back from the fall. "He's a hunter whom I've partnered up with every now and then. He's a touch of a wildcard but his aim is near to perfect."

"Best shot in the business." Clint said holding out his hand to Bruce. "And who's your boyfriend, Tony?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "This is Bruce; he's new to the hunting game. Say hi, Bruce."

"Hello…" He said slowly with a small wave.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Clint?" Tony asked, walking over the fridge and tossing the man a beer.

"Vampire nest somewhere in the city. They've been working the paranormal fiction angle to drain co-eds. I was wondering if you could lend a hand."

"No can do." Tony shook his head. "I'm up to my eyeballs in paperwork. I still have a company to run, after all." Tony took a drink from his own beer. "But you should take Bruce. He's immune to werewolf bites… might be immune to vampires too. What do you say Brucey?"

"Yeah, immune, right Tony." Clint laughed and took a drink. "So how 'bout it, Bruce, me and you killing some vamps?"

Bruce looked at Clint in confusion and then averted his gaze. "I...I uh... Tony, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

"Sure thing." They walked over to the kitchen on the other side of the large room. "What's up?"

"That is a terrible idea!" Bruce whispered. "What would happen if I get attacked, if I can't hold it back?! I don't want him to find out about me and I really don't want him to find out about me like... that!"

"Look the more hunters that know what you are the better. It keeps them from hunting you down like any old monster. Besides you need some practice, he needs some backup, and I need to work. Everybody wins. Clint can take orders. If I tell him not to attack you no matter what, I'll get a strange look but he won't touch you. And if you ... turn, he's fast enough to be able to get away. So don't worry about it, it could be fun."

"I don't even know him! Are you telling me that you know him so well that he won't try to kill you for harboring me, or even send a league of hunters to hunt down m- the Other Guy?"

"I know Clint. He doesn't like to kill people, especially people who try not to be dangerous. He tries to help instead of shoot first ask questions later. He understands people get mixed up into shit. If I tell him you're cool, he'll believe me."

"I..." Bruce started wringing his hands together. "This... this is so stupid." He looked back up at him. "Okay. I trust you."

"Don't worry, it will all work out."

Tony led them back to where Clint was watching TV. "Get everything sorted out? You two aren't breaking up because of little old me are you?"

"No, shut up." Tony laughed. "Why don't you and Bruce get acquainted while I get a car loaded up with everything you'll need."

Tony hurriedly left the room, leaving the two by themselves. "I... I uh, I don't think we... properly introduced ourselves. I'm Bruce Banner." Bruce held out his arm to the other hunter but couldn't meet his gaze.

"Clint Barton." The man answered taking Bruce's hand in a firm handshake. "So you've been hunting long? You look a bit green."

Bruce pulled back his hand and stepped back. "I-I what?"

Clint gave Bruce a questioning look. "I meant that you seem a bit new to this...What, is Tony pulling them off the streets now? How long have you been at this?"

"Oh," Bruce breathed out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Oh, uh, yeah. Heh, I've been doing this for about a month and a half I think. I met Tony when he was out hunting. I got...stuck... in a, um, situation. He saved me."

"Yeah that's Tony, getting people all wrapped up in his business. But he's rich and generous so what are you going to do?" Clint finished off his beer. "So what's your weapon of choice?"

"I... I don't actually fight that much," Bruce cringed at what he expected was going to be Clint's response. "It's just if I have to...and with whatever I have on me."

"Rouge huh? Good as anything. Personally, I'm a bow-man myself." Clint pulled out a small metal contraption and with the push of a button it snapped to life as a full compound bow. "Stark made it for me. Best bow I've ever used but if you tell him that, I'll gut you."

"Heh... right. These lips are sealed," Bruce let out a nervous chuckle.

"So pop quiz, what's the best kind of wood to use to shank a vamp?"

"Nothing. You chop off its head."

Clint whistled. "Good, you do know something. And here I thought that I would have to babysit you."

"I said it's been a month and a half, didn't I?" Bruce smiled softly.

"Fast learner and a cocky bastard. I knew we would be friends." Clint smiled and got up. "So let's head over to the training room and see what you can do."

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Bruce gave one last nervous glance back at the door Tony left from and followed Clint to the training room.

Bruce and Clint had spent a half hour in the training room when Tony came by and told them to get out of his house. Clint smirked and grabbed the keys from Tony's hands and practically skipped off, Tony yelling at him not to hurt his baby. Clint was now driving with Bruce in the passenger seat, rock music playing in the place of the solitude between them.

"So, where exactly is this vampire nest and what do you want to do with it?" Bruce asked with the silence between them got to be too much.

Clint smiled when he changed gears and made the engine roar with horsepower. "Well, I don't know where it is, but I know where the bloodsuckers are hunting. We'll go there and tail one back to the nest then come back in the morning and clean them out. So tonight is a fun recon mission. Throw back a few drinks and spend Stark's money sort of night."

"Oh, how wonderful."

It took a few more hours before the sun finally went down. Clint still drove for about an hour longer and then parked the car in a back alley. The two got out of the car and moved to the trunk, pulling out weapons and stuffing them in their pockets.

"Don't bring anything too pointy." Clint warned as he put a small knife in a hidden pocket of his jacket. "The bouncers will only take so much of a bribe before they call the cops on you."

"Right," Bruce mumbled and grabbed a small knife of his own. "Let's just get this over with."

"That's the spirit!" Clint laughed as he patted Bruce hard on the back and led him back into the car. They drove for a few more minutes before stopping in front of a massive nightclub. The club seemed to have more neon lights than all of Las Vegas. The whole block was shaking to the beat of the music and Bruce was honestly surprised the building was still standing. They parked the car right in front of the entrance and a valet came and quickly took it away. Bruce looked nervously left and right, worried that the masses of people who they were cutting in line would retaliate, but Clint kept marching forward like a celebrity up to the doorman. He looked them up and down disapprovingly until Clint passed the man a wad of 20s the size of a tennis ball. The man smiled and stepped aside for them to enter.

Inside the nightclub was absolutely chaotic. There was barely anywhere to walk through the crowds of people who were drinking, grinding, and even practically having sex on the dance floor. Bruce closed in on himself as Clint pushed through the crowds and he stayed as close to him as he could. "So, where are the targets?" he yelled over the music.

"Don't know. Come on, I got the VIP room. It's got a view of the whole place and free booze and food, it'll be great!"

They were led up to a small secluded staircase to a locked door. Once they were let inside the droning of the music was still there but toned down greatly. Clint found a comfortable place in the middle of a sunken living room and placed an order with one of the strippers/waitresses. True to Clint's word, one of the room's walls was completely made of glass where they could see the whole club. Bruce stood by a wall, looking at the sea of bodies below them.

"Well, this will be easier to find them without actually having to be on the floor. I couldn't see anything out there." Bruce looked over at the bar area and watched the women and men try to buy each other drinks. "They might try to start over there…. probably try to lower their victim's inhibitions."

"Yeah, good point." Clint said as he took up his beer and a handful of calamari. "Just look for the ones that seem a bit too interested in one girl. Oh, and they'll be pretty boys so keep an eye out for them as well."

The two hunters had sat in their room for a few hours, watching the crowd below and ordering food, much to the confusion of the women who worked there; although they could not really complain about the free night. It was around three in the morning when Bruce stood up and walked over to the window. "Wait, can that be something?" he pointed to the bar.

Clint sat up and walked over to the window and nearly ran right into it. "Aw, hell!" Clint slammed a fist into the glass and ran for the door. Bruce glanced back to the couple he pointed out with confusion. It was a pretty boy, like Clint had said it would be, with a beautiful red-haired woman in a slightly revealing dress.

Clint was half way through the crowd by the time Bruce made it to the door. Once he was down the stairs Clint was where the couple was sitting. He ran over to Bruce and practically pulled them both outside.

"Come on we have to follow them."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Bruce, half walked, half pulled by Clint, went down the alley way a couple of blocks from the night club. Clint stopped at a wall and pulled his knife out, looking discreetly at what was behind there. "Is it a vampire?" Bruce whispered, trying to get a peek over Clint's shoulder.

"Probably." Clint said absent mindedly as he spied on the couple. They were only making-out in the back alley. Bruce was not sure this actually was a vampire but the man began moving down the woman's neck. Suddenly a row of sharp teeth filled his mouth. Clint shot up to stop him, but the woman beat him to it. The vampire's head rolled down the alley way and stopped at Bruce's feet.

"Nat, what the hell?" Clint yelled pushing the headless body to the side. "I told you it was too dangerous."

"Calm down Clint I had this." The woman said, crossing her arms.

"There was a reason I asked Stark to help me on this one."

"Oh, and here I thought it was so you could spend his money and get drunk?"

"It wasn't like that, Nat. I was worried about you."

"Hey, hey, wait a second!" Bruce interrupted. The two stop arguing and looked over at Bruce, who diverted their gaze towards the headless-vampire. "We lost our lead to where the nest is. We need to stop and go back and see who else is a vampire."

"Yeah Nat! We had a plan and you ruined it." Clint scoffed.

"I already found the nest, Clint!"

"You cleaned out the nest?" Clint shook his head.

"I told you that you shouldn't underestimate me, Clint." The woman crossed her arms. "They operated just like before…"

"Wait, that's it? They're all dead?"

Clint shook his head. "Yeah, apparently they're all dead." Clint groaned and walked over to Bruce. "Come on; let's go back to Tony's. We're done here."

"Um... go team?" Bruce said as he turned and followed Clint back to the car.

They walked back to the front of the club for their car only to have the woman slide into the front seat once the valet arrived. Clint rolled his eyes but got in the driver's seat anyway after handing the valet a massive tip. Bruce went in the back.

"Bruce, Natasha. Natasha, Bruce." Clint said curtly as they drove off.

"Nice to meet you, Bruce," Natasha turned her head around in her seat. "So sorry that you had to be around Barton all night. How'd you meet each other anyway?"

Clint let out a scoff.

"Likewise," Bruce smiled shyly at Natasha. "I just met him today. He snuck into Tony's house through the air vents. I thought he was a demon trying to kill us."

"Oh, you're up to demon's only after one month. Someone's in deep." Clint whistled at the thought. "Usually people start with something small like skinwalkers. So Bruce, what got you into this mess?" Clint asked as they drove.

Bruce looked up at Natasha, who was turned towards him while Clint watched him from the rearview mirror. "I-I told you already. I got caught up in a demon situation and Tony happened to be there hunting."

"Right, right." Clint said as he continued to drive. "Tasha here is my usual hunting partner. We got caught up in the business at different times. I was practically born into it. My whole childhood was basically Hunter 101. I killed my first ghost when I was nine years old. I found Natasha here during a hunt, and well, we've been partners ever since. What was our first real hunt again?"

"Pagan god." Natasha answered, keeping an eye on Bruce.

"Oh yeah?" Bruce asked, squirming slightly under Natasha's gaze. "Well, you two seem to know what you're doing. How long have you been at it together?"

"A couple of years." Clint answered. "We go around the country killin' things and what-not."

"You were saying earlier that getting involved with demons was a lot for somebody who just started, but a pagan god? That sounds worse than demons. What was that all about?" Bruce asked.

"Awe, we picked up a story about how some crazy guy was smiting people calling himself Thor." Clint began. "Well, we get to the town and of all places we run into him at a movie. He was yelling at the screen about how amazing modern technology was or something like that, so we yelled back at him to shut up, and that led to us stepping outside and bam, he punches me square in the jaw. Granted I may have pulled a punch or two first…"

"Then I proceeded to show him who's boss." Natasha continued with a small smirk. "He said he wouldn't hit a woman. We only found out he was our pagan god when he started summoning lightning during the fight."

"Oh, um, wow," Bruce said and leaned against his seat. "Taking on a Norse god. You guys are pretty tough…So, you two must know your way around the business. Has anything ever...surprised you? Like something came about that you wouldn't expect to see coming despite your knowledge on the supernatural?"

"Everything is a surprise in this business." Natasha explained. "Every civilization has some lore or monster or something. There are just too many to know. Why do you ask? See something Tony could not explain?"

Bruce felt his stomach do a flip. "NO! No. S-sorry, I was just... just wondering. I thought I could maybe, uh, learn a thing or two from the experts. That's all."

Natasha gave Bruce a look and Clint began laughing a bit. "Oh no. Spill man, she's giving you the look."

"It's nothing. Really!" Bruce felt the pressure of Natasha's stare weighing down on him.

"It's alright Bruce, you can tell us. We're all hunters. We've all done things we're not proud of. Seen things, been things we want to forget. Hunter's don't go anywhere alone," Natasha said softly. "You can trust us. We might be able to help after all."

"I said it was nothing," Bruce retorted and looked her in the eyes.

"You don't seem to feel like it's nothing, do you?" Natasha whispered, never breaking eye contact.

"Don't try to manipulate me; it's nothing. It's not your concern."

"Natasha, just let the man wallow in peace." Clint said after a minute. "If he doesn't want to share at show-and-tell, I guess well drop it." Clint looked at him sternly from the rear-view mirror. "But just this once."

Natasha gave Bruce a look as if to tell him that this was not over. Bruce crossed his arms and smiled softly back, a glare in his eyes.

The ride back to Stark's house was a quiet and long trip, but they had finally made it back into Stark's garage. The sun had just risen when they got out of the car and walked into the mansion.

When they got inside Tony practically had a buffet waiting for them with tables full of bacon, eggs, sausage, and pancakes. "Glad you're back, I would hate to have to eat all of this by myself." Tony said walking out briskly to greet them.

Clint whoo'ed at the site and went over to the table. Natasha put her hands on her hips and smirked. "Stark, it takes you three hours to make a mediocre omelet. Where'd you order all of this from?"

"Good to see you too, Natasha. You're as beautiful as ever. For your information I'm still rich. I had it catered."

"And as charming as ever, I see," she said and sat down next to Clint. Tony met Bruce and gave him a slap on the back. They exchanged a smile and sat down to breakfast across from the two hunters.

"So how was the hunt?" Tony asked taking a mouthful of bacon.

"Nat killed them all before we even got to the club." Clint answered give Natasha a playfully mean glare.

"It was an easy mission. I don't know why Clint said we needed help on it. Although, it was nice to meet your friend. We've heard some... interesting information. Mind if I ask you a few questions about how the hunts are going?" said Natasha evenly and to the point.

"Boring as all Hell." Tony answered groaning. "Me and Bruce busted up a werewolf pack recently so, you know, it's something."

"Just that? I thought that you found something that you didn't have an answer to. Clint and I thought that we could clear it up."

"Right that?" Tony took a sip of his coffee. "Speaking of that, I was wondering if I could borrow that blond, pretty-boy pagan you got chained up in dimension 42?"

"You mean Thor?" Clint scratched his head. "I don't see why not. You think you found out how to get rid of him?"

"No, not yet. I just want to ask him a few questions... see if he knows how to kill a demon." Tony answered.

"Demon?" Natasha looked at Bruce. "So much for nothing." She looked back at Tony and took a sip of coffee. "What demon's after you this time?"

"Same as always: Loki. He keeps leaving me desperate voicemails, visiting me at work, sending me dick-pics in the middle of the night. It's time to break up." Tony answered drinking more coffee.

"Demons, man," Clint said shaking his head. "Wait, so is Loki why you got brought into this, Bruce? What happened?"

"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Bruce answered quickly.

"Weren't we all?" Clint replied. "So you want our little pagan god to see if he'll smite Loki for you? I think he wouldn't mind it. But it might be hard to get him to help you just because. What would you give him?"

"Can't I just promise to be his best-friend?" Tony grumbled in his chair.

"He's not seven, Stark." Natasha replied. "We've been trying to get him to help us out on a few missions but he's given us nothing more than some information. We've never tried taking him out; it's too risky."

"He's a pagan god." Tony sighed. "I'm sure if he wanted out, he would get out."

"Well if he does start causing mayhem, I'm not tracking down a giant snake to kill him." Clint answered and looked to Bruce. "So what does Loki have on you that put you on the crazy train?"

Bruce looked over at Tony, and then looked back at the two. "I told you several times already," he said evenly, licking his upper lip and putting his hands together on the table. "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Clint looked to Natasha who looked to Tony. No one said a word for a while. "Okay..." Clint began. "Mr. Descriptive."

"I'm sorry; I don't remember being forced to tell you anything."

"Touchy much?" Natasha whispered leaning over to Tony.

"Relax Bruce, they just love knowing everyone's little secret. I swear they would be spies in another life." Tony tried to laugh away the tension in the air but it was just too thick.

"Well, isn't that nice. Well, I just love keeping secrets to myself, so why don't we respect that, huh?" he sent a glare to Natasha.

Natasha glared back and started reaching for the knife on her leg.

"Nat, play it cool." Clint said, recognizing Natasha's interrogator's look.

"Bruce, don't you dare break my house before I've finished breakfast." Tony yelled slightly.

Bruce had started rubbing his temples. Suddenly, he stood up. "I've got to go. I...I think I need a minute," he said as he started walking from the table.

"We'll finish our talk later Brucey?" Natasha yelled back as Bruce left.

Bruce hunched over at Natasha's words and walked faster out of the room. When the door closed, Natasha and Clint looked at Tony.

"So, he's a real walk in the park, isn't he?" Clint asked Tony.

"Stark," Natasha said and stared at Tony until he looked at him. "I've got a bad feeling about this. What is he?"

"Something...different." Tony explained. "He's not a monster, more of a genetic mutation." Tony took another long drink of his coffee, finishing it off. "Loki did it to him. He turns into a giant green ball of rage and muscle whenever he gets too angry or hurt. He'll destroy a town or two then go back to normal. It's a touchy subject for him. He doesn't really like talking about it."

Natasha leaned back in her chair, taking the information in. Clint sat there with wide-eyes and let out a low whistle. "Well, shit. Lesson learned there." His face hardened. "Wait, so right now he's not-?"

Natasha stood from her chair and grabbed her gun from her side.

"Wait, Natasha, he might not be-!"

"Are you joking? He got angry so easily and he left the room. He's a threat and this needs to end before he ends us."

"You can't kill him." Tony interrupted. "Shooting him will only make him angrier."

"Anything can be killed, Stark. Trust me on that one."

"It's not like he wants this, Nat!" Clint stepped in front of her. "If Loki did it, then it can't be his fault."

"I know that! You know that I feel sorry for him, but it's either us, and thousands of innocents, or him."

"He's not going to hurt anyone, Nat. He'll get it under control." Tony tried to defend Bruce.

"It's been over a month. Has he even tried?"

"Well... He's trying to avoid it all together."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds promising." The three paused when they heard the door behind them crack open.

"S-sorry. I'm sorry that I acted like that; I guess I'm just... just more tired than I thought I would be. We can talk this out and-." Bruce looked up and saw the gun in Natasha's hand. He froze on the spot.

"This isn't what it looks like." Tony said following Bruce's line of sight.

Bruce took a shaky step back and he leaned partially on the counter for support, his eyes never leaving the gun. "You...you told them, d-didn't you?"

"I had to, Bruce. They can help."

"That- that's help? That's help?!" Bruce started to panic. Natasha and Clint went into fighting position. "That's a gun, Tony. I told you not to tell them. I told you that they were going to hunt me down... hunt you down." Bruce wrapped his arms around himself. "I thought I could trust you..."

"You can trust me Bruce, I'm not trying to hurt you. None of us are." Tony glared at Clint and Natasha and they loosened up a little. "And you know that that gun can't hurt you. They're scared, Bruce. They want to help you. We all do."

Bruce let out a shaky breath. "I-I need another minute." He ran out of the room.


	6. Angels and Sins

Bruce actually needed a whole day to calm down. The three did not see him for the rest of the day. Natasha wondered if she and Clint should have left, but Tony said that he wanted them there when Bruce came back, to show that Bruce could really trust them. It was not until the next morning when they were sitting at the table when Bruce came out and sat down wordlessly.

He put his arms on the table and kept his gaze on his hands. "I'm not sure whether I can trust you two yet. But as long as Tony does, I'll keep my mouth shut and we can all just... take it easy." Bruce looked up at the two expert hunters. "After breakfast, I'd like us to go see that god you have locked up."

"Breakfast round two it is." Tony said pulling out his phone. "More eggs and bacon then? Or should I rent out an IHOP and we have all the pancakes?"

"I thought there were leftovers in the fridge," Clint said.

"Well yeah, but that's old food."

"You're going to do whatever you want, no matter what anybody says, anyway," Natasha pointed out.

"All the pancakes it is." Tony said as he began tapping his phone. "Besides we need to air out the tension in here."

After breakfast, Tony began recalibrating his dimensional box to access Clint and Natasha's private prison dimension. Over breakfast they explained that after they captured the god, Tony found them and tried to take him off their hands but ended up agreeing to put him in a pocket dimension until they found a way to take care of him. Over the years of his imprisonment the pagan god had proved to be very useful. He knew a bit about the supernatural and was willing to share whatever he knew if asked. He seemed honest enough, but that still did not change the fact that he roasted eleven people before they imprisoned him, refusing to explain himself because 'humans should not meddle with the supernatural'.

Once the calibration was completed, Tony opened the doorway and everyone entered. This pocket dimension was a lot different than Tony's. Instead of a complete room, it was a vast empty darkness that stretched for what looked like eternity. Bruce stumbled a bit from not being able to see the floor but thankfully they did not have to walk long before finding who they were looking for.

Thor was just what you would imagine a Norse pagan god to look like. Big, muscular, blonde, and gruff looking. He sat on the floor dejectedly, looking down at the darkness and did not even move when the four of them approached.

"Morning, big guy." Clint said cheerfully. "How have you been doing?"

"I am faring well, thank you." Thor responded dryly and shifted a bit to look at the group. His eyes seemed to flare with some interest in both Tony and Bruce.

"This is Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. They've come to ask you a favor," Natasha explained, introducing the two newcomers.

Bruce shifted under the weight of the god's stare. Tony didn't really seem to care.

"Both of these men are beyond my help." Thor declared and turned back around.

"Well that's a bit harsh, don't you think, Bruce?" Tony said walking up to Thor. "We didn't even say anything yet. How do you know?"

"I can tell. You humans always come to power asking for something. You wish me to undo what has been done to you." Thor turned back to face them and pointed at Tony. "I can read his soul from here. It has been displaced. A demon has placed his name upon it. And you," Thor pointed to Bruce. "Have been changed down to the genetic level. I am not even sure you should consider yourself human anymore. I am sorry, but you are beyond my aid. I have not the power to heal you." Thor ended his statement and continued to look down. "I cannot heal either of you."

"That's not what we were going to ask you," Bruce retorted and Thor looked up. "We want to know how to kill Loki...where we can find a way to kill him... for good."

Thor's expression seemed to change at this. He let out a short laugh. "And what would you do once you kill him? It will not help you if he dies. You will still be altered and your friend's soul will be unable to find rest. Humans should not meddle with the forces of Hell. It is no way to get what you desire."

"And if he continues to live, more people are going to end up just like us. Or is that what you want?" Bruce asked.

"It matters not what I will; but what Heaven wills." Thor replied. "Your situation either proves that this is part of Heaven's plan or Heaven does not deem you worthy of its attention."

"Not worthy of attention?" Tony asked. "Ouch, so far this whole time you've done nothing but bruise my ego."

"So, that's your answer?" Bruce asked. "The plan is to either ruin innocent lives... or just ignore them? What kind of heaven is that? Whatever happened to 'God cares for all of his creatures'?"

Thor stiffened slightly at Bruce's words. "...God left." Thor said sadly. "He is gone."

"Well, that explains a lot of things," Bruce said as he crossed his arms and looked over at Tony, who rolled his eyes at the god.

"I thought you said that he was actually useful, Clint. What's the point of keeping him here if he doesn't do anything anyway?"

"Well he killed a bunch of people. We can't just let him loose again." Clint shrugged.

"Those were not people." Thor retorted. "They were monsters. Pagan devils who were feasting on the flesh of the innocent."

"So, if I might as well not call myself human, are you going to kill me too?" Bruce asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"Do you wish for me to?" Thor replied. "Because I would gladly do you the service, monster."

"No one is killing anyone." Tony said. "Well, except for Loki. We're killing Loki. Can we get back to how we should go about that?"

Bruce ignored Tony as he walked closer to the god and loomed over where he sat. "I'm surprised you even asked, considering the others that you killed. Did you give them a choice too? Wait, of course not. Considering what you've been telling us, it doesn't seem like any of your kind really cares about people. Do you want to kill me? Fine. Go ahead and try. But it's not going to be possible."

Thor stood up and loomed over Bruce. "I gave them the chance to try to live as humans. They sought to control humanity and rule over them as gods once more. They demanded worship and sacrifices of blood and flesh. They had no interest in changing! And do you wish to merely give up just because your life is suddenly met with challenge? This is not the strength of will I have come to admire in you mortals!"

Bruce scoffed. "I'm not giving up on anything. I just want to know how a guy who claims to love humanity could allow someone like Loki to go free, yet kill something that was once human. I lose control of myself, and I know that I want to be human, even if that... thing I become doesn't. Do you even consider that there are really people still there that want to live when you go out and serve your 'godly justice'?" Bruce's eyes started to tinge with a bright green color as he got as close to being in the tall god's face as he could. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just as bad as Loki."

Thor grabbed Bruce by the shirt and lifted him into the air. "Never dare to compare me to that demon, monster! I smite those who abandoned their duty to humanity for the sake of power. You still have a part of you that clings to what you were. They did not care about the fate of the mortals they demand love them! If I could have spared their lives I would, but they were beyond reason. I am not heartless. But I have my orders to protect humanity and they must be obeyed!"

"Okay, Thor, put the newbie down now," Clint said, reaching for his retractable bow. Natasha was already at her gun.

"Wait wait wait. Hold on, Goldilocks." Tony said walking over to Thor and Bruce. "What orders are you talking about? I thought the big God left... and that you are a pagan god yourself, who gives a pagan god orders?"

Thor looked down to the side as he let Bruce down. "I am not a god." Thor kept looking down. "I am... an angel of the Lord."

"Bullshit." Resounded the three more experienced hunters in unison.

"Angel's can't be real. The lore is practically blank concerning angels." Tony said with crossed arms.

"I've never seen one, have you Nat?" Clint said and Natasha shook her head as well.

"I swear upon my honor it is the truth." Thor said shaking his head. "I have made my mistakes in the past, but I am trying to earn my favor back."

"So, if you're an angel, why couldn't you have just left this little pocket dimension? Is it because you like seeing those two every other day?" Tony asked.

"My brothers...are not too fond of me as of late. In short, they did not appreciate my playing to be a god a millennia ago. They will string me up for treason for my actions. But by continuing my original mission, by smiting those who would harm humanity, I can prove I am loyal to Heaven again. But until I can convince them, I need to hide. They will not think to look for me here. It is safe."

"But if you're in here, you also can't go 'smite those who would harm humanity', can you?" Bruce spoke up, his face still looking down at the ground and his arms crossed protectively over his chest. "Everything you've said up to this point can be easily proven as a lie, especially if your mission is to protect humanity and you still refuse to kill Loki."

"He's got a point, Thoreal," Tony said.

"I remain here because you have made use of me. Every time I give you information, I help you kill the monsters. I help humanity by helping you. And I have not refused to kill your demon. I only want you to know that once I do, another demon will rise to take his place that is just as evil. Killing him will change nothing. It will not cure you, either of you. It will only give you another demon to pull your leash."

"What other choice do we have?!" Bruce flared and turned his head up at Thor. "It's either sit on our asses and live with the devil we know for eternity, or spend the rest of our days killing demons for the sake of humanity. Oh, and let's not forget that all the while nobody really cares about the innocent people who can't fight for themselves! If you really cared about humanity, then you'd fight every demon that takes his place."

"You ask the impossible." Thor said. "Are you aware how demons are made?" Thor pointed to Tony. "That is how. Damned human souls become demons. You expect me to ruthlessly destroy every demon alone? They are countless in number with thousands falling every day until the end of time…Do you understand why I cannot truly help you now?"

Bruce evened himself out. "Then this whole trip was worthless," Bruce turned and walked back to the others. "Have a good, long life, Thor. I hope our paths never cross again."

"So much for that idea," Tony whispered to Bruce when he caught up to him as the other let out a sigh.

"What do we do now?" Bruce asked.

"Wait, my friends." Thor said after a while. "I ... I may not be powerful enough to help you. But that is because I have removed myself from Heaven. I could ask my brothers if they could. At the very least, I could try to restore your humanity, Sir Banner."

Tony cast Bruce a questionable look. Bruce frowned at the angel. "Why would you do that for me? After all of this, after being told that I'm not even human anymore, after telling you that you weren't doing your job properly, you actually want to help me?"

"Plus, don't you kind of have the whole 'cast out of Heaven' thing going on?" Tony piped in. "I mean, I get it. Family is a giant pain in the ass. Do you really think that your brothers will actually want to help you out?"

"My purpose is to aid and protect humanity. It is difficult for me to go against that instinct. And my fallen nature will likely aid in summoning someone powerful who will aid you. Not for my sake, but for yours."

Tony nodded his head, giving a look of approval. "So, can we keep him?" he turned to Natasha and Clint.

"Take him." Clint said throwing his hands in the air. "This is all too much for me. Hunting used to be easy. Now it's all complicated and shit."

"Well looks like we're going on a field trip, Thor old buddy." Tony said patting Thor on his bare shoulder. "Bruce, I guess we have ourselves a guardian angel."

"This is going to be, interesting," Bruce said. "Let's just get out of here."

Clint and Natasha gave a short wave goodbye as they drove off to another hunt. Tony returned the gesture but both Thor and Bruce stood behind him standing awkwardly. Once they left Tony clapped his hands together and addressed the pair. "So, where do we begin?"

"Where would you like to start, Sir Stark?" Thor asked unmoving. "I could begin hunting your demon, or I could tell you how to summon my brothers to find one who will aid you. Sir Banner, what is your will?"

"I...uh. I'm not really sure," He looked over at Tony. "Oh, and just call me Bruce."

"Very well, Sir Bruce." Thor nodded in affirmation. "Perhaps I could get a better look at your...condition, Sir Bruce. It would help me to know how best to aid you."

"That's... not really the best idea, Thor. Sorry."

Thor gave Bruce an innocently quizzical look. "I assure you that whatever the demon has done to you cannot destroy me. My vessel is hardy and strong. You do not need to worry about me."

"Hold up!" Tony threw his hands in the air in an effort to pause the conversation. "Vessel?"

Thor looked down and shuffled in place. "Angels are like demons in one respect. We must acquire a vessel in order to appear in this world. My true voice and form cannot be safely shown in front of mortals. I must take a human vessel for your safety."

"And what about the poor Joe you are wearing like a meat-suit?" Tony asked, crossing his arms.

"Donald was willing." Thor responded calmly. "Angel's must ask permission before they take a host. He agreed to my terms."

"I wonder if he's regretting it now," Bruce whispered to Tony.

Thor looked down with regret. "He ... he was willing."

"We get it buddy." Tony sighed. "We get it. But you have to admit that it's a bit unfair. I mean you stole his life."

"He wished to help people. To save them." Thor explained. "I told him that with me he could help so many more than he ever could alone."

"Well are you planning on letting him go?" Tony asked, unconsciously drumming his soul.

"I will when my mission is complete." Thor confessed. "But I cannot right now...I cannot risk him rejecting me now."

"Okay, see? Everything's fine," Bruce cut in. "We should get back to the matter at hand though. What do you think we should do first, Tony?"

Tony crossed his arms and clicked his tongue in thought. "Thor, go find someone who is willing to help Bruce. And make sure that it is someone you trust, 'cause it would be great if we could ask a few more favors for when we track down Loki." Tony looked over to Bruce. "Plus it would be best if I get Bruce some clothes he won't rip to shreds."

"Very well, Sir Stark." Thor nodded once and then vanished, leaving the pair of them alone.

"Wait, you seriously want me to do this?"

"What get better?" Tony spoke slowly. "Of course Bruce. Do you not want to get this ... mutation out of you?"

"Of course I do! I just," Bruce sighed and shook his head. "I don't want anything to do with that... thing. I don't ever want to change into that thing; no matter what."

"You know we should really give that 'thing' a code name." Tony mixed a drink for himself. "We can't keep calling him 'that thing' or 'your condition'. I vote Big Spanky."

"That's not funny. I'm not calling it anything because that will make it really a part of who I am. That thing is not who I am!" Bruce wrapped his arms around himself. "I'm not that thing; I'm not a monster."

Tony put an arm around Bruce and led him to the couch. "Hey, hey, I know you are not a monster Bruce. I know monsters. That's my business. You are not a monster." Tony took a drink. "But it helps to know your enemy. Know who you are fighting against. You can deny that he is you, but you cannot deny that he is in you. Until Thor finds someone who can fix this, it might help to try to understand what this is."

"As a scientist, I would agree but... as the experiment, I don't know if I can do this, Tony. Changing into that... its, its horrifying. All I can see is green and all I can feel... all I can feel is pain and...hatred. I don't," Bruce looked at him. "I don't want to wake up and find you and anyone else dead around me."

"Hey we are alone here. I don't know if you noticed on the way back but my back yard is an ocean and my front lawn is nearly 5 miles of grass. The other guy would likely wear himself out leveling this place if things go out of hand." Tony laughed a little. "Plus if you do kill me Loki will just bring me back to life. He has displaced my soul. If experience and what Thor just said tells me anything it's that my soul isn't going to leave my body. My body just breaks. I could see Loki thinking the other guy smashing my skull in as the funniest thing I've ever done." Tony took another drink and looked to Bruce. "I won't force you. But maybe this could help."

"You're telling me that you wouldn't mind me breaking your house and hurting you so brutally that you die."

"I have amazing insurance." Tony took another drink. "You could actually end up making me some money by leveling this place. And me, well, I've never felt much pain ever since this thing happened." Tony tapped his chest. "All physical pain is more of a dull ache."

"I..." Bruce let out a sigh. "I'm not sure how I can even make it come out."

"Well let's be good scientists and experiment." Tony finished off his glass and left it on the table. "We know it happens from pain and anger. Do you remember anything before it happens?"

"Just either losing my cool or getting hurt in a way I didn't expect to happen."

"Okay..." Tony paused. "So what does that do for us..."

"I'm... not sure. I guess...do something like that to me?"

"I could kick you in the nuts." Tony offered. "Would that work?"

Bruce let out a laugh. "Well, I'm kind of expecting it now."

"So I can't kick you in the balls?"

"I'd rather you not."

"Okay fine." Tony looked around. He took an ice-cube from his glass and dropped it down the back of Bruce's shirt.

Bruce jumped a little at the melting ice cube and pulled it out from his shirt. He looked at the ice and then back at Tony. "Really? It's not that easy to get me to lose it is it? Also, whatever happened to waiting for our angel to come around?"

"I thought we were experimenting."

Tony gave Bruce a childish pouting look.

Bruce flicked the ice cube into the bar's sink. "I'd rather wait for the angel that claims he can hold it back if something bad happens."

"Alright. But can we at least give him a code name?" Tony asked pleadingly. "I want to know what to put on the celebratory T-Shirts."

"No and NO. No one else is going to know about this because we're ending it."

"My friends!" Thor announced loudly appearing right behind Tony making him jump nearly over the couch from surprise. "I have returned with aid!"

"Damn it all Thor!" Tony shouted turning to face the angel. "You can't-" Tony paused looking at the man he brought with him. He was the classic angel, blonde hair, blue eyes, muscular build and kind face.

"This is my brother, Steven." Thor began introducing the newcomer. "He is trustworthy and loyal to our mission and understanding of my position. If anyone can help you, Sir Banner, it is he."

The new angel did not say much but looked around the room slowly. He spied Bruce almost instantly and his default kind expression fell. He put a hand on Bruce's shoulder and looked him square in the eye. "I cannot help you, for you have been given the blessed chance to serve Heaven's will."

"...I'm sorry?"

"Your condition is part of the plan." The angel explained again. Seemingly not picking up on Bruce's confusion.

"Part of the plan... is running away from military part of the plan? Is having to be that monster part of the plan? Is KILLING innocent people part of the plan?! What kind of plan is this? How can you look me in the eye right now and tell me that you are an angel trying to benefit humanity!?"

Steven looked taken aback. "You are part of Heaven's will. Your creation was part of the coming end."

"Yeah, as in it will be the end of everything. Great work getting a demon to make me like this, by the way. I'm sure that won't backfire on you at all."

"We are aware of Loki's involvement, yes. It was part of the plan as well. You are the embodiment of wrath, borne of Hell. You are a sin to be overcome for the glory of Heaven."

"And I always told my dad I'd make something of myself in my life," he muttered. "And who is going to 'overcome' me? Am I a demon, destined to destroy humanity until someone does me in and I go to Hell?"

"Oh you will not fall into Perdition. You are a force not a demon. For your service, we have a place for you in Heaven. You shall be overcome during the battle of the Apocalypse by the armies of Heaven." Steven looked over to Thor. "I don't understand his confusion."

"Human's do not appreciate being used by Heaven unwillingly." Thor answered with a smile. "Human will is very powerful; they do not like having to go against it."

"But he will enter Heaven; I thought that was the end-goal."

"Humans don't like being pushed around feather butt." Tony shouted back.

"At what cost would it take to go to Heaven? What about everyone else I've killed because I'm like this?! Do you really expect me to sit back and take this?"

"No war has been won without casualties." Steven shifted again. "You are a soldier in this war. Lives will be lost."

"We are NOT soldiers!" Tony shouted. "We're human beings!"

"That may be. But the plan states that -"

"Screw the plan!" Tony shouted back. "Find another guy to be the Sin of Wrath or whatever you called it. You are able to find people to prance around in, you can find some sadistic bastard to turn into a monster for you."

"And do you think that you are not a part of this also, Stark?" Steven shouted back. He pushed a finger to his chest where the glow resided. "Sin of Pride."

"...What?" Tony said slowly. "Am I going to turn into a giant ego maniac?"

"Like you aren't already," Bruce said to Tony and turned to the two angels. "Then what can we do other than sit around and wait for the end. Thor said that he would help us kill Loki; help us stop him from doing this to anymore people. So we need to do that. We'll figure out what to do about ourselves later." He paused for a few moments. "What will happen to Tony?"

"As of now, nothing." Steven explained. "He embodies the arrogance of pride and it will be his downfall. And Loki is off the table. He is fulfilling a purpose in creating the sins. He is not to be killed."

"Do it yourself, then, if it has to be done," Bruce ordered. "Don't let that demon do anything else that will harm more people. As long as he's free to roam around, he can do just that. If you won't do it, I will."

"The sins are to be made from Hell. I cannot." Steven began to shift, obviously uneasy. "I have my orders. And orders must be obeyed."

"By who?" Tony asked. "God's gone, right? Looks like you're out of excuses, pretty-boy."

"The Heavenly council knows what is best." Steven said again. "I am just to obey orders... It's for the best."

"Well, thanks for all of the help," Tony said. "Really, you guys really were a big help. If you'll excuse us," he said and put his arm over Bruce's shoulders, "my partner and I have a demon to kill and a fate to defy. If you'll excuse us."

Thor walked over to the pair as they were leaving. "My friends. I apologize. I was unaware that you were part of Heaven's plans. But please do not hold it against Steven." Thor looked back over to the other angel who was looking out of the window, a conflicted expression on his face. "He is loyal to the very core, but whether to Heaven or humanity is at constant war in his heart. He knows your fate is cruel, but he does not know if going against his home is the right thing."

"And what about you, Thor? Do you really still want to go through with everything you said back when we first met?" Bruce asked.

"I have given my word to you to aid you and your kind." Thor said. "And under the present circumstances, I believe it best to remain by your side. I may not be the best of assistance, but I will do what I can."

"Great," Tony clapped his hands together. "I knew we could count on you, point-break," he said as he slapped the angel on the back. "So, should we see what we can do about Mr. 'Sin of Wrath'?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"You said you wanted to take a look at him, right? Here he is, ready to go."

"Tony, I told you that I don't know how to get it to work by myself," Bruce said.

"Doesn't hurt to try." Tony said walking over to Thor to give Bruce some room. "Can you try, just, wishing it to happen?"

Bruce closed his eyes and they stood in silence for a minute. He opened his eyes and let out a sigh. "Sorry, I can't get myself to want it to happen."

"Perhaps if you made yourself upset?" Thor suggested looking to Tony. "The Sin of Wrath is activated by rage, is it not?"

"I... I tried. I just can't get myself to...do it."

Steven suddenly joined the group and put a shining silver blade to Tony's throat. He pushed it into the soft flesh of Tony's neck just so that blood would begin running down the blade. "Is this adequate motivation?"

"Brother?!" Thor stepped back in surprise.

"The beast already hates me." Steven answered. "Wrath is born from more than anger and hatred but from love and loyalty as well. I should inspire the change by threatening his friends." Steven looked to Bruce. "Well, does this aid in your efforts?"

"Don't touch him!" Bruce snarled and pushed Steve away from Tony. In his surprise, Steve fell to the ground. Bruce fell to his knees a foot away from the angel and gripped at himself with growing green fingers. He kept looking at the angel and snarled and spat, trying to lunge at him until the pain pushed him back down to his knees.

"One: Ow!" Tony yelled and the angel and scooted over to the back wall, holding his neck. "Two: You got this under control Bruce?"

Bruce responded with a cry as he flexed his back, the shirt ripping and falling apart around his body, his shoes and part of his pants ripping off with it.

"...So a maybe then?" Tony shouted back. "Thor, can you come over here and be my bodyguard?" Thor silently obliged and stood protectively next to Tony. "Thanks buddy."

The creature came out and looked down at Steven. With anger rising in his features, he roared and raised his fists, slamming them down at the angel.

When the beast raised his fists to strike again he stopped. There was nothing below the rubble. The monster looked quickly left and right for the angel when suddenly he reappeared only to stab him in a large shoulder.

The creature roared in agony as the angel twisted the blade and then pulled it out, blood spilling and instantly burning away as it hit the ground. It turned with a fist ready to slam into the angel's head when Steven disappeared once more in front of him. Steven raised his blade and went to stab the creature once more in the chest.

The monster grabbed the knife and, as it cut into his hand, he took it out of Steven's hand and threw it to the side.

The angel looked up at the demon with a look of war darkening his features as the creature raised his arms once more.

"Hulk SMASH!"

The crash was from the impact was nearly deafening. The vibrations from the attack likely would have crushed Tony under their pressure if Thor had not shielded him. As for Steven he laid in a battered heap on the floor. He was unconscious, but most likely still alive. Either way, the monster seemed satisfied enough to call it a victory.

The monster roared and smacked itself on the chest. It then looked over at Tony and Thor, scanning the two as if to see if they were really targets. Finding Thor not at the ready to attack, the creature snorted at the two and turned away as if to leave the building.

"Hey wait!" Tony stood up a bit shaky. "Bruce, wait!"

The monster turned and looked at Tony, anger radiating from his features. "Hulk not Banner! Hulk is Hulk!" it roared and ran towards them like a bull.

Thor leapt to action and grabbed the monster by the wrists, halting his movements.

"Sorry, sorry, Hulk. I'm sorry Hulk. I-I thought you were a friend of mine." Tony smiled, trying his best not to cower behind Thor. "So...do you ... remember me?"

Hulk ignored Tony and roared at Thor, pressing further into the angel's grip. Thor grit his teeth and pushed back, finally being able to push the giant backwards. As Hulk fumbled, Thor raised his arm, a hammer materializing in his grip. Thor swung his hammer at the back of Hulk's head, causing him to fall down to the ground.

Hulk groaned slightly and tried to stand up again.

"Hulk, hey, Hulk. We're friends yeah?" Tony shouted again as the Hulk stood up again. "Do you remember the time I got Banner all that stuff? You liked that right? Friends don't smash friends you know."

"Be silent, Stark!" Thor shouted back. "This is a being of pure rage. I doubt he has interest in such material matters."

Hulk put a large hand to the back of his head and flinched; he turned and looked at the two. "..Tony," Hulk's face softened slightly.

"Yeah, big guy, I'm Tony." He said slipping in front of Thor. "And this is our angel buddy, Thor. We're your friends."

Hulk looked in confusion from Tony to Thor and his face split with rage. "Stupid angels lie! Stupid angels kill! Hulk HATES ANGELS." Hulk pushed Tony aside and ran at Thor who blocked and held the giant's wrists once more.

"Hulk. Hulk!" Tony shouted as the two continued to spare. "Thor is different. He's cool. He's cool. Show him you're cool,Thor. Show him that you're on his side."

"And. How. Do you. Suggest. I... Do that." Thor asked between blows.

"Stand down?"

Thor gave Tony a quick look of shock. "He shall surely rip me asunder."

"He won't hurt his friends will you, Hulk?" Tony said, getting probably a bit too close to the fight.

"Tony on angels' side?! Little man kills too?! HUL-" Thor smacked Hulk's head again and Hulk flew into the ground. He let out a groan after a few moments. He started to push himself up, only to crash back into the floor and finally, stop moving.

"I believe you're loyalty to me might have been a poor move on your part." Thor said to Tony as he walked over to the groaning giant. "I apologize, Sir Hulk." Thor said as he kneeled down. "I did not wish to fight you. But I have sworn to defend our friend Stark. As a sign of good faith and friendship, I shall heal you." Thor put a hand to lightly touch the Hulk's head. Suddenly the stab wounds on the Hulk's chest and arms began to close and heal. There was a sudden crack and the dent Thor must have put in the back of Hulk's skull also seemed to pop back into shape.

Hulk roared in agony and looked back at the angel, who tried to give a smile to the giant. Hulk's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell. His body began to constrict and decrease in size, Hulk's groans cracking into the higher pitched voice of Bruce's own voice. When it was over, Bruce lied unconsciously in a heap of torn pants and a cracked and dented floor.

Tony took a second to survey his destroyed living room. "Well that was fun. Did you get all that Jarvis?"

"Yes sir." Jarvis replied. Tony stifled a laugh as Thor jumped in surprise from the voice. He would have to explain Jarvis to him later. "I have also taken the liberty of calling the contractors. They will be out in the morning."

"Thanks Jarv. You're the best."


	7. A Perfectly Good Mood

Once all of the excitement was over Tony had Thor carry Bruce and Steven down to his garage and place them on some free tables. It was not much but it would have to act as a temporary sickbay while he waited for everyone to regain consciousness. Plus, it would let him keep an eye on both Bruce and Steven while he checked out that blade Steven had used.

Tony had never seen anything like it. For one it did not melt under Bruce's acidic blood. It was even more interesting that JARVIS could not identify what metal it was made from. It was light and very strong. Tony would have to keep testing it to see what else it could do.

Half-way through testing to see what the odd metal's melting point was, JARVIS alerted Tony that Steven was waking up.

"Good morning, sleepy-head." Tony said in a slightly mocking tone. "Have a good nap?"

Steven looked around at his surroundings quietly scoping the area. His eyes finally stopped when he noticed the blade.

"Please return my sword." The angel said, looking up from it and to Tony.

"Not yet, Steve." Tony responded as he turned the heat up a bit more. "I'm trying to see what it is made of. I've never seen anything like it."

"Very well." Steven said, quickly jumping off the table. "Consider it a gift then. For being unable to properly aid you and your friend."

"Yeah, thanks for the sword. It totally makes up for being pawns in your little war." Tony groaned.

"I have helped you the only way I can." Steven stepped closer to Tony. "I cannot remove the monster. But I have told you what it is for. Does that not help?"

"No Steve, it doesn't. Bruce is a good man, he doesn't deserve this. I at least chose to sell my soul. He was forced into this. Can't you do something for him? Anything to help him out."

Steven looked away and turned back to lean against the table he was on. "I...I'll look into it." And with that, he was gone.

Tony took a double-take at the spot Steven vanished and rolled his eyes. A groan from the other table made him look over at Bruce as he was waking up. Bruce sat up and held his head in his hands. "What...where am I?"

"My garage." Tony said shutting the heat off and walking over to where Bruce was. "Temp sickbay while you and feather-butt recovered."

Bruce lifted his head. "Oh my God. I didn't... Is everyone okay? Are you okay?"

"Yeah we're all good." Tony smiled and patted Bruce on the shoulder. "Bruce let out a sigh of relief as he tipped his head back. "Good... lucky, even." He frowned and looked at Tony. "Where is Steven, by the way?"

"Heaven? Hell? I don't care. Holier than thou just left; but we get to keep his cool sword thing though."

Bruce squinted his eyes over Tony's shoulder and stood up, grabbing his shredded pants and went to look at the blade. "He just left it here?"

"Yep. Well he asked for it back but I said no. Said it was an, 'I'm sorry' present."

"'I'm sorry'? For what, nearly slitting your throat?"

"He was only trying to make you angry. Thor healed me right up after the whole incident, see?" Tony stretched out his neck to show Bruce that everything was fine. "He healed you too, well, the other guy, who, by the way, gave himself a name."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, right when he went to attack Stevey he shouted 'HULK SMASH' and bam! Broke my floor. Jarv, pull up the footage."

"Right away, sir."

Suddenly a screen came to life with the whole incident starting when Steven was threatening Tony.

When Hulk started talking, Bruce went pale. "Turn it off. Turn it off! I don't want to see anymore!"

The screen went dark and Tony was not sure what to say. "You doing okay?"

"I... I didn't want to believe it." Bruce raised shaky arms around his chest. "I've heard that voice before." He let out a sad laugh. "I've heard that voice since the accident. I hear it much more now. It...It used to be quiet; so quiet. But lately, it's getting louder... and that...That THING is becoming more...present. If it's given a name to itself now, that means," he looked up at Tony. "I think I'm losing myself to it."

"That can't be..." Tony shook his head. "No, no, you're stronger than that; you can't get shoved out by that thing. Is this my fault? Have I been bringing the other guy out so much that he's getting smarter?"

"I... I don't know," Bruce shook his head and leaned against the table. "I just...I just don't know." Both men paused in thought until Bruce spoke up again. "Tony, promise me. Promise me that if... that if I'm really gone, that you'll put an end to me before I hurt anyone. Don't wait until the angels have to do it. Just, please."

"Bruce, don't' ask me to do this...I can't kill you."

"You'd rather I kill you? I kill the world?! Don't ask me to do that!"

"I will fix you. I fix things, not destroy them...not anymore. I will get you back to normal. It may be too late for me, but you I will fix."

"Tony, I don't think this is something we can fix," Bruce said sadly.

"Well we have to try." He turned back to his machines. "We won't get any closer if we just give up now. We have to keep fighting this to the bitter end."

"I...," Bruce looked up and gave him an attempt at a smile. "Sure, Tony. We'll keep going until the end."

"That's what I like to hear." Tony paused. "So, he's called Hulk, huh?'

Bruce frowned. "I don't care. I don't care what his name is, I don't care what he wants, I don't care what he needs. We will not have anything to do with it... EVER."

"Okay, okay." Tony tried to release the tension. "forget I mentioned it. So what do you want to do now? We could bother our guardian angel Thor. He's just busy having a nice chat with Jarv."

"Maybe we should check on him."

"Probably should. I told him to tell JARVIS everything he knew. I figured it's best to get it from someone who knows while we can. Last I checked he was talking about the middle ages."

"Jeez, to be alive so long. No wonder angels find us so insignificant."

"Well that and being comprised of quantum energy as well." Tony pulled down a screen and showed Bruce two diagrams. "See, here is my soul-stuff. And here is Stevie's." he pointed to the large bright mass. "It looks like the human soul, or at least my soul, has more energy condensed in it, but whatever the angel's are made of has less power but it is far more chaotic. It can be focused a whole lot more tightly. They seem to have figured out how to release it at will in short bursts. That seems to be how they heal and teleport and all that. They seem to use it as a power source."

"That's, wow." Bruce got up to give the visual a closer look. "But is that even considering the factor that Steven was in a human body? Does the human's soul still stay in the vessel while Steven is in there? Could that be hindering their own energy... or even making it tighter? There's just so much more to know and not a lot of ways to finding answers." Bruce looked over at Tony. "By the way, when did you get Steven's data? When he was unconscious?"

"Yeah. The Hulk knocked him out good. One thing's for certain, he absolutely hates angels. He seemed to like me though."

Bruce frowned at the mention of the Hulk. "Have you ever done these... tests on me when I didn't know it?"

"Just the initial ones when we first met. After that I've done nothing more than basic health monitoring. Well maybe kept an eye on stress levels to see how much it takes to set you off."

Bruce breathed out. "Thanks for not...looking into it when I didn't know."

"No problem. Honestly I would not know where to begin looking. I only looked at feather-butt 'cause I didn't think angels existed. I just had to get something for my databanks."

"We don't know what we're dealing with with me right now and you still didn't look into it. So I appreciate it. So... do you really think Thor knows how to stop Loki... and do you think he'll really do it?"

"I'm sure if anyone knows how to kill a demon it would be an angel."

"And if he can't do it himself, he'll just have to tell us how we can do it."

"I don't see why not. It'll give JARVIS some time to sort through everything Thor's been telling him anyway."

They walked up to the living room in relative silence. Bruce panicked a little upon seeing the destroyed floors but calmed down when Tony brushed it off and said it was fine. Thor was sitting on the couch facing the television talking to a vocalization screen JARVIS was speaking through.

"Take 5 buddy." Tony said taking a seat. "We want to talk to Thor now."

"Thank you, sir." Jarvis said, sounding almost relieved.

"So," Tony said to the angel as the two scientists sat down across from him. "Can I get you anything? Scotch, holy water...?"

"I do not need to eat or drink, thank you though." Thor said holding up a hand in refusal.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked him. "I'm sorry for anything I did." Bruce scanned the room. "Judging by the damage, it must have been something horrible."

"No it was quite alright." Thor said. "It is not often I get to engage in such a rousing battle. It was invigorating."

"Uh... sure."

"So," Tony started, "We were wondering if we could get started on the whole hunting-Loki-down-and-killing-him thing."

"But Steven said that Heaven willed him alive." Thor said shaking his head. "I cannot harm him. And I would advise against going after him as well."

Bruce licked his lip. "So, you lied about helping us then."

"I did not lie!" Thor shouted but quickly calmed himself. "Steven came to me a moment ago and told me that Loki was under heavenly guard. If any harm were to come to him, an archangel would be summoned to destroy the threat. I am by no means powerful enough to defeat an archangel. However, I can help you capture Loki."

"Go on," Tony waved a hand at Thor.

"We will use a summoning spell to bring him here and bind him in a devil's trap." Thor said triumphantly. Tony groaned.

"Um, I've tried that." Tony confessed. "Fourth year into the deal actually. He brought my house down to destroy the devil's trap."

"But this time I will be present." Thor smiled. "And surely I can help forge a stronger binding spell than the one you had used."

"Okay, so we capture him then, what? We have a chat over tea?" Bruce asked.

"We cannot harm him without summoning the archangel." Thor said. "The best we can do is imprison him."

"That... that doesn't sound productive at all. Unless we can bind him for eternity, but that still counts as keeping him from following 'the plan', doesn't it?"

"Well yes. It does. He would be unable to complete his mission."

Bruce looked over at Tony. "What do you think of all of this? You're more of an expert then I am."

"Well if Thor can take on the Big Guy no problem I do not want to see how crazy an archangel would be if one makes him nervous."

"Then what can we do..." Bruce muttered. "Wait, the sword. Thor, Steven left his sword here. We were wondering if you knew anything about it. It's made of some material that we've never seen before."

"The angel blade?" Thor asked. "That is a powerful weapon. It can kill almost anything. It is one of the few things that can kill an angel. It most certainly can kill a demon."

Bruce looked over at Tony questioningly.

"What?"

"You said that you wanted to screw the plan, right?"

"But what about the archangel?"

"I didn't say anything about killing Loki," Bruce said. "Not yet, anyway. He said the blade can even kill an angel, right? Why don't we find Loki and what his next target is? We can stop the sin from ever even being created. If worse comes to worse, I'll take on the archangel and you can take Loki if things...don't work out for me in the end."

Tony raked his hands over his face. "This is a suicide mission, Bruce. We don't even know where to start looking for Loki."

"We can track him down. The guy is nothing but chaos, Tony. We can track him down just like you tracked me down," Bruce frowned. "Besides, I don't want to live like this. I'd rather...I'd rather die than be the monster these angels want me to be."

"Bruce..." Tony groaned. "Fine. But it would be faster to summon him. If anything it keeps him away from his next target."

"If you think it's better to just take on the archangel instead of find his next target, I am ready to do that. Besides, the angels said so themselves: we're supposed to be the ones that they defeat to end the world. They can't do that without us, right?"

"Unless they want to just get us out of the way early right?" Tony smiled sheepishly. "Okay Thor, help me out with the new spell. I don't want Loki getting away from me. Also, if you can, do you know any archangel banishing magic."

The new circle was drawn over the vast majority of Tony's living room. Thor had been kind enough to gather all of the ingredients needed for the spell in the blink of an eye, since most of them Tony did not even know where to begin looking to find them, let alone have in his Malibu home. He also told them how to perform an angel banishing spell, but requested that they refrained from using it unless they felt it absolutely necessary.

The three poured over the last of the ingredients when Bruce looked over at Thor. "Thor, you do know what we are going to do, right?"

"Summon the demon and likely incur the wrath of one of my strongest brothers." Thor kept looking forward.

"And you're giving us all of this to summon the demon protected by said brother, even though we're aiming to kill him by the end; something you said you wouldn't let us do."

"Neither I, nor my brothers, can stifle a human's will." Thor shook his head. "If you wish to do something it will be done, no matter what we say. I merely assume this event to be inevitable."

"If it's any consolation," Tony said from the other side of the room. "We'll make sure not to get you killed."

"Many thanks, my friends." Thor said patting them each on the shoulder. "But that is for my brothers and my might to decide."

"Well, are we ready?" Bruce asked as he got up and dusted his hands off.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Tony said as he stuck a match. He looked to Thor and then to Bruce and dropped the match into the summoning pot.

There was a flash of smoke and powder. When the smoke cleared Loki was standing in the middle of the room.

"Well Stark, this is a surprise." Loki smiled. "You never summon me the old-fashioned way." Loki looked at the devil's trap engraved in the floor below him. "My you are serious. And you brought an angel. I feel so special. Whatever could be the occasion?"

"Didn't you hear the news, sweet-heart?" Tony asked and stepped towards the furthest part of the ring. "It's the end of the world and apparently we're all invited."

"Ah, yes...That." Loki looked over the trio. "And?"

"And you're playing right into the hands of the angels. You know, it's really kind of sad," Tony said as he started pacing. "You go on and on about how you are such a powerful being, yet no matter what you do, you can't seem to escape your fate, can you? You have to play along, make your little Sins for the angels, and then die so they can be victorious over Hell. Maybe the angels will still give you a gold star for trying at least."

"Do you really believe Heaven's propaganda?" Loki began with a laugh. "Do you honestly believe Heaven will win this war? I may be making the Sins, but they are my army! Heaven has no say in what I do. I play their game, just as you play mine, and in the end I will win!"

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Tony said, pulling the blade off of its resting spot on the table. "See, Bruce and I have a bit of a problem with Heaven and Hell. We don't really want to play your war games so even if you came close to winning-which you won't by the way; we still wouldn't join you. But instead of waiting for that to happen, we were given a special gift." Tony held the blade up for the demon to see.

Loki turned his head to the side and flashed a winning smile. "Well you certainly know how to spoil a perfectly good mood." Loki stretched his arms out to the side. "Do be gentle, I rather like this vessel." He knocked back his head and a stream of black smoke was quickly escaping his mouth.

"Wait, what?!" Bruce shouted.

"I thought you said he couldn't get out of this!" Tony yelled to Thor.

"He should not be able too." Thor shouted looking around the circle for any defects. "He must be more powerful than I anticipated!"

"Then fix it, genius!" Tony yelled.

"Now is not the time for compliments, Stark! We need to find the demon!" Thor yelled back as he continued to examine the circle.

"How do we do that?" Bruce called out.

Thor looked up quickly, but his shoulders fell when he spied Loki's empty vessel. "It is too late. He is gone..." Thor kicked the ground and pointed at a spot near the summoning pot. "There is where the circle was broken. Some powder must have jumped from the pot and filled the engraving."

"Shit, are you serious?" Tony looked over and threw his hands over his head.

"Guys, what are we going to do about him?" Bruce asked, pointing at the unconscious vessel.

"Thor, is...is the host soul still in there?" Tony asked slowly, looking at the vessel questioningly.

"Aye."

"Oh my God. I wonder how long he's been gone," Bruce muttered.

"We can keep our vessels alive for eons." Thor explained. "It would be nearly impossible to know."

"It's been over ten years for certain." Tony chimed in. "He's the same Loki I've always known."

"What should we do with him?"

"Well we can't kill him." Tony shook his head. "It's not his fault Loki possessed him."

"Yeah, but... do we just ...let him go? I mean, he will probably find another body anyway, right? I just...I don't know."

"Loki said he favored this vessel." Thor continued. "He will likely return. I know that with angels it is easier to return to a previous vessel. Each particular human's biology resonates with our spirits better than others. He did ask us to be gentle after all."

"Let's...let's get him off of the floor then; put him on the couch or something. We can try to talk to him when he wakes up; see if he remembers anything or knows what exactly Loki might do next maybe?"

"Sounds like a plan." Tony agreed. Thor was already ahead of them and gently carried the body to one of the couches.

Tony looked down at the body and back to Thor. "Does he need, like, a blanket or a glass of water or something?"

"He will likely need nourishment when he awakens. He will be very hungry. We provide our vessels with raw energy to stay alive. His digestive system will not have been functioning for the entirety of his possession."

"Do you even have real food here, Tony?" Bruce asked as he walked over to the kitchen.

"Do lemons count?"

"Tell me again how you're alive without proper nutrients?" Bruce asked as he shut the cabinets, only having found lemons and alcohol in them. "I guess I'm going to the store then."

"Hurry back. I don't want to have to explain to not-Loki why he has to have nothing but lemonade until you come back."

"Do you need assistance, Sir Bruce?" Thor offered. "Loki is still missing. Perhaps I could offer you my protection?"

"What about Tony? If he's staying with his vessel and Loki knows that we want to kill him, wouldn't he be coming after him instead?"

"I have repaired the circle." Thor answered. "Should Loki enter he will be trapped. All Sir Stark would have to do is leave and he will be safe. We just need to move the couch to the circle."

"I-I guess you can come then. I want to triple-check the circle though. I don't want that mistake to happen again." he turned to Tony. "Can I borrow the car?"

"Take anything made this decade." Tony offered as he pushed the couch to the empty middle of the circle. "I'll go over this whole thing again and make sure it's clean. You two have fun now."

"Okay... just stay safe." He looked over at Thor and nodded to him, leading him to the garage. Bruce took the keys to the most inconspicuous suv Tony had and unlocked the doors, getting into the driver's seat and adjusting the seat. He looked over to see Thor just standing outside of the car. "Are you coming?"

Thor appeared in the passenger seat next to him. "I'm already here." Bruce jumped a little and caught his breath. "I apologize, Sir Bruce. I must confess I do not fully understand this machine." Thor looked around the inside of the car. "Shall I fly us there? We would arrive in an instant."

"No, no, its fine," Bruce said and started the car. "People aren't really used to flying and people suddenly appearing-out-of-thin-air. Plus," he said as he pulled the car out. "There won't be anywhere to put the groceries."

The two drove for about 15 minutes and Bruce parked the car in front of the store. He got out of the car, looked over at the passenger side, and ran over to open Thor's door for him before Thor poofed out into the parking lot.

Thor stepped out and Bruce grabbed a shopping cart and the two headed for the store. Bruce pushed the cart up to the automatic doors and they slid open.

"I say. I have never been in a place like this..." Thor said looking around. "This is a vast improvement over the marketplaces of yore."

Thor suddenly bolted down one aisle and picked up a box angrily. "Sir Bruce! What is the meaning of this?"

He angrily shoved a box of Devil's food cake into Bruce's hands. "It is no wonder that humans are having so many problems with demons. They have the audacity to buy sweets for them!"

Bruce's eyes darted around the other shoppers who were staring at the two. "Uh, Thor? Can you maybe keep your voice down? Devil's food cake is just a saying... it's supposed to be a...temptation to want to eat it because it tastes good, that's all."

Thor looked suspiciously from the box to Bruce and back. "I see... Then what of this?" He showed Bruce the Angel's food cake box. "Does this also apply?" He sounded slightly disappointed.

"I...guess so?" he said as he pushed the cart around Thor and kept walking and pulling items from the shelves. Thor continued to point out everything that seemed to pick a side between Heaven and Hell. Angel hair pasta, deviled eggs, and other foods or brands that depicted either angels or demons. He insisted that Bruce only pick the items on 'Heaven's side', claiming that to do otherwise was akin to rebellion and took it as a personal offense.

Bruce let out a groan and threw the angel foods into the cart and walked away. "I knew this was a bad idea. Listen, we have to get over to the frozen section now and then we can pay for everything and go home, okay Thor?" Bruce turned around. "Thor?" The angel was nowhere to be seen. "Oh no."

Bruce looked around everywhere for Thor but he was nowhere in sight. Suddenly a loud commotion was heard from the front of the store.

"Let go of me!" a random man in shouted as Thor held him in the air with one hand.

"No." Thor said back, keeping eye contact with the man.

Bruce dropped the shopping cart and ran to the front, weaving through the growing crowd of people to get to the center. "What are you doing?!"

"This human has...nefarious plans for this marketplace." Thor said looking around at the growing crowd.

"What are you talking about?!" Bruce walked closer to him and whispered. "Put him down, apologize, and walk out of the store, now."

"But he intends to rob this establishment." Thor whispered to Bruce. "He has a gun in his pocket. He is willing to kill."

"How do you even know that?!"

Thor smiled. "I am a being of raw energy. I heard him talking to himself. Also his dog is in the parking lot and he will not be silent about this master's doings. Apparently he has done this before...and does not prepare good food for him or let him out enough. The poor beast! He is devoted to you, scoundrel!"

"Thor, that's good and all, but nobody is going to believe that. Even if they find the gun on him, he can get in trouble but you're going to get in trouble since you attacked him without what people can see as 'just cause'. We can't stay in this place anymore. We have to get out of here."

Thor looked to Bruce and then at the man. "Can't I at least take him away from here where he will not harm these kind people?"

"If we get away before the cops get here," Bruce turned around and saw security guards heading their way. "Oh no."

"Worry not, Sir Bruce." Thor put a hand on Bruce's shoulder and suddenly they were somewhere else. "We have escaped."

Bruce looked around and looked back at the criminal still in Thor's hand. "That disappearing act is going to have some bad consequences, isn't it? Where are we?"

"Mexico." Thor dropped the man and grabbed Bruce's shoulder again, bringing them back to the parking lot of the supermarket. Thor looked around the parking lot until he found an old beat-up truck. He pulled the door free and a scrappy mutt jumped out. Thor patted him on the head, looked the dog in the eye for a bit before the dog ran off. "My apologies, Sir Bruce. We shall have to continue our shopping elsewhere."

"Uh, that's fine, Thor. You did the right thing... I think," Bruce said as he headed towards the car and opened the doors. "Let's just, keep quiet this time around."

They drove several miles up the road into the next grocery store. In the next store, Bruce kept looking over at Thor, who stayed as silent and confided to himself as he could.

"Thor, you don't have to be like that. We just can't make a scene."

"Again, I must apologize, Sir Bruce." Thor slumped his shoulders. "I have failed to blend into humanity...I meant no harm. I was only trying to fulfill my duty and protect humanity."

Bruce sighed, feeling sorry for him. "No, it's okay, really," he said as they turned down the breakfast aisle. "It's nice to see you do the right thing and it's not your fault that you don't know how to be human. I'm just...I'm sorry, I've just been trying to keep as low of a profile as I could, especially since what happened to me." Bruce grabbed a box of coffee and put it in the cart. They continued on down to the breakfast foods and stopped in front of the breakfast foods.

"What is wrong, Sir Bruce?" Thor asked moving to see if anything was physically wrong.

"Hm?" Bruce's eyes refocused on Thor. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking of what Tony would eat for breakfast that doesn't involve a large amount of bacon or pancakes."

"Um..." Thor reached out and picked out a box of poptarts at random. "Would he eat this? It is low on nutrition, but he does not seem to be a fan of eating healthy..."

"I guess so. At least we can get him to eat something," he said and took the box out of his hands and put it into the cart. "I think we're about done here. Let's go check out."

"Yes. Very good, Sir Bruce." Thor agreed and took the cart so that Bruce could lead.

"You really don't have to call me sir, you know. You can just call me Bruce," he said as he walked them to the cashier.

"But Sir...Bruce. It is a sign of respect and honor, is it not? It is a force of habit. So many of my brothers think themselves far above humanity. This was a way to remind myself that I am no better."

Bruce sighed. "Well, I guess if it makes you feel comfortable."

The two checked out their groceries and drove back home. Thor grabbed all of the groceries and they went inside. "Tony? Tony, we're back," Bruce yelled out. He frowned when he didn't hear a response and decided to put the groceries away. He opened the fridge and put the remaining food inside and shut the door, just to realize that a man was standing behind the door.

Bruce jumped and let out a yell and Thor and Tony came running into the kitchen.

"Tom!" Tony yelled. "I told you to stay in the circle!"

"Tom?!" Bruce yelled and looked between Tony and the frightened man. Not seeing a trace of Loki in his features, Bruce let out a breath and put a hand to his heart. "Oh, man. I think I almost lost it there for a second."

"I'm sorry." The man named Tom said, looking legitimately sorry. "I did not mean to frighten you, but..." he looked over at the bags of groceries.

"Oh.. right. Sorry. Help yourself."

"Thank you, so very much." Tom said and dove into the grocery bags.

"Hey, back on the couch mister!" Tony yelled and pushed Tom back into the circle.

Tom sat down on the couch and started eating while Tony crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Sorry, has he been up for long?" Bruce asked.

"An hour or two. His name is Tom. Loki nabbed him from England sometime in the 20s." Tony shrugged. "He is a bit jumpy, and polite beyond all reason."

"The 1920's?! Oh my God," Bruce leaned against the wall. "Do you know if he remembers anything?"

"He's honestly trying not to. Apparently, surprise! Hell is horrifying. We are lucky he can still talk after being Loki's vessel for so long. He could have woken up a potato."

Bruce just shook his head and sighed. "As much as I'd hate to do it, we're going to have to ask him if he knows if Loki is weak against anything that can take him by surprise."

"Well we can try. But can we just have him enjoy being free for a while?" Tony looked back over to the man. "He took the time jump pretty hard. His whole family is gone, Bruce. They had no idea what happened to him."

"Yeah...as long as we can keep the circle up around him."

"Don't worry, I told him Loki can't get him while he is in there."

"I just hope you're right."

"The best it will do is keep Loki here if he does come back..." Tony whispered to Bruce. "We'll have to find a way to kill Loki without hurting Tom."

"Would the angel blade kill Tom too?"

"Aye." Thor said, overhearing the question. "It would. But I could try to bring him back to life. If there was enough of him left..." Thor looked over to the man. "The angel blade excels at destroying energy. It would rend his soul."

"And if he's been possessed for so long, then saving him will be out of the question," Bruce pondered, a hand raised to his bottom lip. Bruce let out a groan. "This is getting too complicated. Wait, what happens when Tom has to leave the circle? He can't just stay there forever. Can we get him an anti-possession tattoo too or...?"

"If we get him one how will we get Loki?" Tony added. "We are only keeping Tom so close to try to catch him, right?"

"We can't just let him get possessed again though!"

"I know, but what other choice do we have?"

"But it's wrong! We might as well just ruin the circle now and let Loki take him at this point. What's stopping you from doing that right now?!"

"Look, it's a problem." Tony admitted. "Even if Loki possesses someone else that would be another person torn away from their lives like Tom was. At least if he takes Tom that is one less person who has to be hurt."

"Then don't give him a false sense of hope. Just let him go."

"Then what would all of this be for?!" Tony shouted. Rousing Tom's attention.

"Um. Can I have a vote?" Tom said between bites.

The three looked over at Tom, the tension in the room cut.

"I don't want anyone else to have to suffer like I did." Tom swallowed hard. "Loki is a monster. I can't imagine forcing that on someone else."

"Listen, Tom," Bruce started. "We can find another way to-."

"If it means Loki taking someone else I won't hear it." Tom stood up from the couch. "I've been gone for years! My life is over. I have no friends or family. I'm as good as dead. I could not forgive myself if someone else had to suffer because I was trying to get my life back."

"But we can find a way to get your life back and still stop Loki. There has to be another way," Bruce said.

"Well if there is not a way. Do not try to save me if it means letting someone else suffer."

"Bruce, you know there isn't any other way," Tony said solemnly.

"Thor?" Bruce looked to him with pleading eyes.

"I know of none." Thor said quietly so that Tom would not hear.

Bruce's shoulders slumped and he sat down in a chair, not daring to look at Tom.

"Let's just have him enjoy his freedom for now." Tony patted Bruce's shoulder.

"What kind of freedom is he enjoying?" Bruce asked. "What kind of freedom do you get stuck in one spot of a room, constantly looking over your shoulder waiting for a demon to possess you? This isn't freedom; this is a nightmare."

"It has to be better than the living nightmare he just got out of!" Tony yelled back. "Either way, we either let Loki take someone else and free Tom, or let him get possessed again and maybe have a shot at killing him." Tony sighed hard. "I mean it's better than nothing, right?"

"Even a small circle is better than nothing at all..."

Bruce looked at Tony incredulously and nodded his head towards the man they were talking about that was just one room away. "You're telling me that you'd rather be stuck in a circle than die?! What kind of life is that?" Bruce whispered.

"More than what he had before!"

"How is this any better?! He's still confined to a single spot; but now he gets the company of an angel, a guy whose possessor ruined his life, and a freak of nature. Please, go on, telling me how this is the best thing for him."

"Let me put it this way, Bruce. Would you rather live the rest of your life as the Hulk, or as you, a better, cured you, but could not leave a room. You would be trapped but at least you would have peace."

"I'd rather be dead."

"Well I guess Tom has more of that 'Keep calm Carry on' attitude."

"You know what I think?" Bruce said and stood up, walking to meet Tony face-to-face. "I think that Tom doesn't really understand the predicament he's in right now. What have you been telling him while Thor and I were gone, exactly?"

Tony glanced over to the man. "I told him that Loki had left him here because we threatened to kill him. Then he remembered me, and he apologized, it was adorable. I told him that the circle would keep Loki trapped if he came back, but that it won't keep him away. However I did tell him that if Loki did come back for him, he would willingly be trapping himself if he came back into the circle."

"And what does Tom want to do with that information in mind?"

"He wants to help us. You heard him. He doesn't want Loki to hurt someone else because he wanted to run. If it means we get Loki, he's willing to stay there."

Bruce wiped a hand from his face to the back of his hair. "Then let him get it over with. I don't want to prolong this for any longer than he has to."

"I know...But right now all we can do is wait and keep an eye on him. Either Loki will come back for him, or he'll be free. Either way, he's not leaving that circle."

"Fine." Bruce walked out of the room. "I hope he doesn't have to use the bathroom anytime soon."

"I'm having the contractors install a toilet in the circle tomorrow. Call the whole thing an art piece. I'm rich; we get to do weird things the common folk don't understand."

Bruce stopped at the doorway and turned to him, looking incredulously at him. He then sighed and shook his head, a soft smile forming on his face. "I hope he doesn't have to go today then."


	8. Being Human

Tony yawned and tried to stretch away the sleep. It was his shift with Tom and they had just finished watching all of The Lord of the Rings movies. He was going to show him all of Star Wars, but he figured that fantasy would probably be easier to pick up on than space battles. Tom seemed to like it regardless.

"Sir Stark?" Thor asked as he walked into the room. "I noticed you are weary...you did not rest much the night before. Please, allow me to keep watch while you sleep."

"You sure?" Tony said through a yawn. "He's all yours, Big Guy." Tony stood up weakly and stumbled off towards his bedroom. Thor quickly took Tony's place next to Tom.

"How do you fare, Sir Tom?" Thor asked looking at the man.

"As okay as I can be." He replied, sheepishly pushing the buttons on the remote control.

"Would you like me to get you anything so you will be more comfortable?"

"No, no, I'm fine, thank you. Your friends have done more than enough for me." Tom smiled politely as he adjusted himself on the couch.

"I see," he mumbled. The silence overtook them as Thor sat looking at the wall and Tom flipped the channels on the television.

"Sir Tom, if I may," Thor started. Tom looked up from the television at him. "I wished to ask you, if you feel well enough to answer a question... about Loki."

Tom swallowed hard and laughed a little to himself. "I suppose I will have to share what I know sooner or later. What did you want to know?"

"I wished to learn if perhaps you know what he plans on doing next, what his weaknesses are, anything that may be of value to humanity."

"I do not know of any weaknesses I'm afraid. If I did I promise you that I would let you know. But I don't have any idea what could kill him... As for his plans, all I know was that he was making the Sins, whatever that means. He has already made Sloth, Wrath, and Pride. His next targets are Envy and Lust, but I have no idea who they would be. Honestly I don't think Loki does either. The sins seem to be made based on personality traits or something like that. They are not preplanned. He just turns who ever fits the bill at the time."

"I see," Thor mulled over. "Do you know who Sloth is supposed to be? I am sure that Sirs Tony and Bruce would want to find this person."

Tom shook his head. "He made Sloth years ago. The angels already killed him."

"Years ago? How come I have not heard of this?"

"Loki used to mock that Heaven does not like to share." Tom said sadly. "I suppose that's true for information as well. I would guess that you did not need to know. At least that's the gist I got from when Loki would interact with angels."

"Yes, this does seem…correct. Is there anything else that we should know about Loki?"

"I don't know." Tom confessed. "Loki would keep my mind closed off from everything he was doing. I was able to peek in every now and then; raid his subconscious here and there. But I don't think I know anything that would be of interest to you." Tom paused. "I know he likes wine. He would let my mind free every now and again and talk to me about this vintage of wine compared to this other vintage. But that's not very useful."

"Do not fret, Sir Tom," Thor said and placed an arm on his back. "You have said plenty already, and I truly appreciate you doing so despite the pain it may cause you."

"Aw, don't worry about me, I'm fine." Tom said poking at the television remote again. "The future is scary anyway. All of this new technology seems to know everything about everyone... I heard there have been horrible wars... I just-"

They were interrupted by a large crash through one of Tony's windows.

Thor and Tom flew to their feet. Thor looked over at Tom and nodded at him to stay in the circle. Tom nodded in agreement and Thor started to walk to the doorway. "JARVIS? I have been told that you are a spirit of many abilities. Did you see what that was?"

"It appears we have an unscheduled guest. Shall I alert Sirs?"

"Indeed," Thor responded, his hammer spawning in his hand.

Thor maneuvered quietly over to the source of the sound. Near the front of the house the front door seemed to have been kicked in, leaving broken glass scattered all over the floor. Thor looked around but could not find what had forced its way into the house. He was just about to turn around and return to his post when he was shoved against the wall, the sharp point of an angel blade at this back. From the corner of his eye he could see a disheveled man. He was filthy from the smoke and grime of many battles, his hair was long and rather unkempt, as if it was just an afterthought in his life. He held Thor with an inhumanly strong grip. He could not escape.

Thor tried to push himself off of the wall, but the man would just continue to push his arm further into his back, the threat of the blade growing. "Who are you? How dare you destroy this home and hold me down?!"

"Now, Thor, is that any way to treat a guest?" The smooth cool voice of Loki suddenly whispered behind him. "And after all the trouble you went through to keep my vessel safe. You shouldn't have."

Thor turned his head as far as he could and saw Loki standing next to the man whom held him against the wall. He looked across the room and saw that Tom was no longer in the circle. "What kind of madness is this? How did you break free?"

"My little helper here can do wonders with an angel blade." Loki patted the man on the shoulder. "He cut a hole through the spell while you were away examining the door."

"Impossible," Thor spat out. "There is no way I would not have known he was there."

"You could if perhaps he was more powerful than you," Loki leaned in close. "An archangel perhaps?"

"You speak lies! I do not know this man."

"Yes. Becoming a Sin can do that to a soul. Even an archangel's soul. Meet the sin of Lust, dear Thor."

Tony snuck around the corner and stabbed at Lust with Steven's blade. Lust grabbed his wrist without even having to turn around, flicking Tony's wrist and making the blade fall several feet away.

Loki shook his head in disapproval. "Stark, Stark. You can't kill a Sin that easily." Loki raised his hand and Tony went flying up against the wall. "Now be a good boy and wait there while the adults are working."

"That's good to know," Loki turned and looked over indifferently at Bruche, who now held the blade.

"I tire of these games..." Loki snapped his fingers and the man holding Thor stood at attention. Loki pointed to Bruce and the man jumped into action and began fighting Bruce.

"Now then." Loki turned to Thor and pinned Thor's back to the wall. "Are you not the most curious little angel..." Loki smiled and misty blue light swirled into a ball in the open palm. "You will do nicely..." Suddenly Loki slammed the light deep into Thor's chest. Thor gasped in air violently and fell to the ground as soon as Loki stepped away.

"Thor?!" Tony yelled. "Thor, what's goin-oh, no." Tony recognized what was going on. "Loki, you son-of-a-bitch! Bruce! Can you get over there? Bruce!" Tony looked away from Thor and saw Bruce being held down by the new Sin.

"Hush now, Stark." Loki said, walking over to Tony. "I know, I know. I'm the bad guy. I'm the villain of this story. I'm just no good." He shrugged nonchalantly and flashed him a grin. "Well you're right. But here is my side of the story: my Sins and I are going to take over this mud ball and end this dimensional war between Heaven and Hell." He walked closer to Tony and held his chin lightly. "Just think of it! No more angels interfering with human lives, no more demons making deals. Just one. Unified. Rule. My rule." He let out a pleasured breath. "And you will be my knights. And as you know, I take very good care of my things."

"Or all of you can leave us the fuck alone. I'm sick of this, Bruce is sick of this, every human being who will ever know about this plan is sick of this. If you think that we're going to just wag our tails and follow your orders, you've got a whole other thing coming for you, pal." Tony threatened as he narrowed his eyes.

"Humans love to bow to power, Stark." Loki traced Tony's jaw line with a finger. "I will show your people the glory of my rule, free from both Heaven and Hell. They will be able to do as they please, so long as it pleases me. True, some may resist, but that's what he is for," Loki indicated to Bruce and the new Sin across the room. "Lust and Wrath are powerful emotions, are they not? They both stem from passion."

"I don't know about what the Playboy Bunny is thinking, but I know for sure that Bruce isn't going to let any of this happen."

"Lust comes in more than one form, Stark." Loki laughed. "His is more of a bloodlust. As for Bruce, it matters not what he desires. The monster within him will do just fine."

Bruce let out a yell and the two turned to look over at the two Sins. Lust had grabbed Bruce's throat and tightened his grip. Bruce started grasping at the hand, letting out gasps and groans as the skin around the hand on his neck became a patch of green and slowly started spreading.

"Barnes!" Loki shouted. Lust stiffened and slowly released his grip on Bruce, making him fall to the ground, coughing. "It is time to go." The Sin walked over to Loki and stood behind him protectively. "Farewell, my Sins. Do be patient. I will be returning for you as soon as I find the rest of our family." Loki put his hand on the man's shoulder and they were gone. Tony, finally free from the binding spell, fell to the floor as well.

Tony ran over to Thor since he was closest to him. "Thor, hey, Thor! Can you hear me? Wake up!" Tony started pushing at Thor, who hardly rolled over. He was unconscious. Bruce got up to his knees, but he was still coughing and groaning.

"Damn it all!" Tony looked over to Bruce. "You doing okay, Bruce?"

"I can't," Bruce wheezed and the green continued to spread. "I can't... can't catch ...my breath. You...hurt...Thor...down on the ground..."

"I'm a bit bruised but I'm fine." Tony said and turned back over towards Thor. He tried to wake him up but nothing was working. "Thor's out cold, but he's still breathing. He was breathing before right? Angels breathe right?"

"Tony...it's not... it's not going away," he turned his head towards him, his eyes starting to glow green. "Help me."

Tony looked to Bruce and started slowly shaking his head nervously. "I-I don't know how... What can I do?"

"Tell me... tell me we're safe. Please, hurry, I can't hold o-" Bruce recoiled into himself with a groan.

"We're safe Bruce." Tony said, slowly walking over to where Bruce was and gently putting a hand of his back. "Loki and the Playboy Bunny are gone. They're not coming back. Jarvis, put this place on lockdown level Armageddon." Suddenly steel sheets slid down over the windows and walls which began to glow with blue spell-work. "Now nothing gets in or out. We're safe here. Just breathe."

"We're...We're safe," he muttered to himself. "Breathe, breathe. Got to breathe." Bruce took several breaths and soon the green started to fade away. It was still several minutes before Bruce looked up and sat against the wall. "It's okay. I think...I think it is okay now."

"Good, good..." Tony continued to pat Bruce on the back. "Jarv. Release lockdown." The metal sheets pulled back up and after a moment or two of machine noise they could see the calm ocean against the night sky. "All better now?"

"I... I think so." Bruce raised a hand to his head. "It's still there, but it's not as pressing as it was. We just have to be careful." He looked over at Tony. "Thor... is he okay?"

"I don't know. He's breathing but he won't wake up. Loki hit him with some sort of spell."

Bruce pulled himself off of the ground and walked over to Thor. "He's breathing? Do angels even breathe?"

"That's what I said. I mean, they are possessing humans, and humans need to breathe, but Thor did say that he doesn't need to eat, and humans need to eat. I'm not sure how many bodily functions an angel actually needs to maintain to keep a vessel."

"Sorry, I couldn't hear you over th- you know," Bruce rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "I guess we can try waking him up again." Bruce poked at Thor's cheek. "Thor? Hey, can you hear me?"

When Thor didn't respond, Bruce frowned. "Where did you say he got hit by a spell again?"

"Square in the chest." Tony pointed to his own glowing circle. "About the same place as me."

Bruce nodded and lifted Thor's shirt over his chest, but saw nothing. He raised a fist over his head and pounded Thor's chest.

Thor then gasped in so violently that Tony and Bruce nearly fell backwards in surprise. Thor then continued to cough and gasp for air like a drowned man. He tried to stand up but could not seem to get his feet under him.

"Thor, hey! Give yourself a minute!" Bruce yelled and tried to push him back down into a lying position.

Thor looked like he wanted to get up but laid back on the ground until he managed to catch his breath. Once he was calm he pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Are you alright, my friends?"

"We panicked but we fixed it," Tony said.

"Thor, are you alright?" Bruce asked.

"I do not know. I feel strange. And very weak." Thor put a hand on his stomach. "And also...A small pain right here. I have not been stabbed..."

Bruce and Tony exchanged a glance. "Uh, Thor? We were wondering; do angels need to... breathe?

"We do not need to but it helps with speaking." Thor said trying to stand up and managing to get to his feet. Bruce and Tony tried to object but Thor ignored them. "Why do you ask?"

"When you were unconscious, we noticed that...you were breathing," Bruce said. "Do you feel nauseous or anything? Like, maybe the room is spinning and it's hard to focus? And the pain in your stomach, does it feel...empty?"

"Strange..." Thor said as he stumbled around the room. "My vision does betray me yes. I cannot seem to see as I normally do...And I suppose my stomach does feel empty. How strange?"

"Well, I'd hate to break it to you, tough guy," Tony said with a bit of hesitation. "But those are all of the signs for being hungry...and being human."

Thor looked at the pair slightly confused and mildly afraid. "But that cannot be... I am an angel. I do not hunger. I am just weary from Loki's spell..."

"Thor, I think that might have been Loki's spell," Bruce said with just as much hesitation as Tony had.

"What exactly did Loki say when he did it?" Bruce turned to ask Tony.

Thor looked down as if trying to think of an excuse for feeling ill. "Loki called me a curious angel. He said I would do nicely..."

"Do nicely..." Bruce said as realization dawned on his face. "Oh my God." Bruce stood up and looked at Thor. "Thor, I-I'm so sorry, I-"

"You...you might be a Sin, buddy." Tony cringed as he walked over to Thor slowly.

"No that is impossible, I-I am an angel! He could not possibly corrupt something as powerful as..." Thor paused, a look of horror on his face. "The other man...Loki said he was an archangel... By Heaven no!"

"They're right about that part." The three turned their heads to see Steven appear, leaning on the wall in the corner of the room.

Steven got off of the wall and walked over to them. "It was by Heaven. Everything that has happened, has been done by Heaven. They've cast away some of their most loyal soldiers for the sake of bringing Earth to an end."

"Steven, what is the meaning of this?" Thor shook his head and walked over to his brother. "What is going on? Am I...human?"

Steven looked at Thor sadly and put a loving hand on his shoulder. "You are. You are the sin of Envy. Your love of humanity has betrayed you."

"And our friend, our archangel James," Steven said as he pulled his hand off of Thor's shoulder and bowed his head. "His need to protect Heaven's will also made him Lust."

"So that's how Heaven thanks you?" Tony asked. "They throw you into your own personal Hell so they can get what they want? Tell me why again you're still helping them?"

Steven snapped his head up at the hunter. "Heaven has betrayed their finest for the sake of their own gain; I see that now. There is no way that they would do this to their own for the sake of peace. This isn't peace, and this isn't freedom, and I'm tired of being used."

"Oh, so you only care about going against the Big Daddy since its now your own kind that has to suffer like us," Tony retorted. "Very moving, sweetheart. Really, it is. But you aren't getting any sympathy from me. You left us here to suffer because you thought that Heaven was doing the right thing."

"I don't want your sympathy!" Steven yelled. The room quaked for a moment until Steven calmed down. He let out a breath and closed his eyes. "Of course I thought Heaven was doing the right thing; I am an angel of the Lord. I have always done what I've been told to do because it has always seemed right. But now, with all of this happening." Steven sighed again. "Our father is gone and has not been heard from in a long time. The higher angels have taken over, but I now see the treachery that surrounds them. I don't want to be a part of that anymore." Steven breathed in hard. "Especially since they still pursue a pointless endeavor."

"What? The whole ending the Earth thing?" Tony scoffed.

"The Apocalypse is not happening. The chosen vessels have ended it before it could begin." Steven looked down. "I received the news this morning. Heaven is in a panic. Michael was in charge but now he is gone. There is Civil War."

"Civil War?" Thor asked and stepped forward. "Brother, what is the meaning of this?"

"One side wants to use the Sins as a way to replace the apocalypse. The other wants things to continue as they are. Deeper down there are fights to determine who will replace Michael. It's chaos the likes of which have not been seen since Lucifer's fall."

"And what do you want, Steven?" Bruce asked. "What's your play in this?"

"I want to end this once and for all. Destroying the sins will not bring the end of Hell's rule, nor the end of the world. So I wish to help you in destroying Loki and ensure the Earth's safety. Hopefully by ending the sins Heaven will fall back into order."

"Do you really think defeating Loki would set all of us back to normal? Would it really stop all of this?"

Steven sighed, "At the very least stopping Loki will keep the sins from being created." He looked to the trio. "Best case it might also mean weakening the magic within you and give Heaven the chance to free you from your fate."

"Oh, yeah, because Heaven has been all too willing to help us in the past," Tony said, rolling his eyes.

"If the right side wins," Steven smiled. "They will be more than happy to set things right."

Bruce interjected before Tony could argue anymore. "We appreciate the help, Steven, we really do. It's just... we don't know what else we can do right now. We tried summoning Loki, but he was able to escape thanks to Lust. Even if we summon him, Lust is going to come right behind him. What else can we do?"

Steven stood still, a slightly confused and frightened look on his face. "I-I've never had to give an order before. I do not know what to do. But at the very least I offer my services."

"Well, you're the one going on about stopping Loki," Tony said. "Well, how can we stop him?"

"I do not know." Steven began to pace. "James is still obeying his mission of protecting Loki from harm..." A sudden peal of thunder shook Steven from his thoughts. "No, they are close. Listen, I came here for a reason. You have to hide, immediately!"

"Hide? Hide where?! It is a demon and an archangel turned Sin!" Thor argued. "I will confront them about this change."

"JARVIS, I need those shields up again," Tony called.

"It is not Loki!" Steven shouted as the metal shutters came down again. "I told you that one side of Heaven wishes to use the Sins as part of the Apocalypse. That faction is coming to fulfill their mission and fight you to the bitter end. We need to move, now."

"Move where?!" Bruce yelled over the impending thunder.

"Anywhere but here. But first I need to ward you so that they cannot track you anymore. This will hurt." Steven held out his hands and put one on Bruce and Tony's chests. A sudden light flashed and a bolt of pain surged through their entire torso. As soon as the light faded he turned and did the same thing to Thor.

Bruce let out a gasp and caught his breath.

"What the Hell was that?!" Tony yelled.

Thor simply looked down at his chest. "But Brother, now you will not be able to find us!"

"I'm coming with you. I've abandoned my duty for too long now." Steven looked between the trio and put a hand on Tony and Bruce. Thor took hold of Steven's arm and within a breath they were standing in the middle of the woods.

Bruce and Tony whipped their heads around. "Where are we?" Bruce asked.

"Central Park." Steven announced peaking out between the trees to make sure the coast was clear. "Has the pain faded? Do you need a healing spell to keep moving?"

"I'm good," Tony said. "Bruce?"

"I'm okay. Let's just get moving."

"We should be safe for a few days." Steven announced as they walked. "They cannot trace you now and so will have to rely on tracking you the human way. I took us as far as I could with so many to carry. I must confess that I do not know where to go from here..."

"How about a nap?" Tony yawned and stretched. "If we're in New York, then we can always crash at Stark Tower."

"Very well." Steven said looking unsure. "Thor, when you arrive be sure to ward the building against angels and demons. I'm going to try to throw our brothers off the scent. I will return in a few days. If I do not, move again, I will find some way to track you down."

"If you can find some way to track us down, what makes you think that the others can't track us down?" Tony challenged.

"Because I know where you are." Steven smiled softly. "It will give me a head start at least." Steven pulled out his angel blade and gave it to Thor. "I will return, my brother. And I will find a way to restore you."

"Thank you, brother," Thor accepted the blade. "I look forward to your return."

"And I look forward to returning." Steven said slowly and then vanished himself.


	9. Halloween Special

Chapter 1

Halloween had never really stood out more than any other holiday for Tony. When he was younger he would go to costume parties and drink himself under the table, but not that many CEOs and shareholders wanted to party like co-eds. The holiday had just become another day of mass email messages and setting JARVIS to dispense candy down stairs for the trick-or-treaters.

But now Tony had people in the tower he could act like an idiot around. Currently he was sneaking up behind Bruce with a rubber spider on a string. He stifled a laugh as he slowly lowered it on to the book Bruce was reading.

Bruce snapped the book shut on the spider. "Really, Tony?"

"Really." Tony laughed. "Happy Halloween! Have you seen Thor? I wanna prank him too."

Bruce turned his head and smiled. Tony's laugh was contagious. "Ah, now that's just mean. He's still getting used to being human."

"All the more reason to show him what human's do for fun." Tony smiled, showing off a pair of plastic fangs. "Vleh. I vant to suck your blood!"

"Don't joke like that in front of him; he'll try to cut your head off." Bruce turned back to the table, pulling the spider out of the book and handing it back to Tony. He put his book down along with his reading glasses and pulled himself off of the couch. "I didn't think a hunter would be so excited about Halloween."

Tony popped the fangs out of his mouth. "It reminds me of a time before all this mess. When vampires were sexy and shilled to middle-school girls, not trying to kill me. Plus...I finally have people around I can play pranks on, like you and Thor. Clint's okay, but Natasha disarmed all of my pranks last time… It's no fun."

"I'd hate to break it to you, but I've never really celebrated Halloween. Your best chance is probably with Thor or Steven."

"What?" Tony jumped onto the couch. "You never ate candy till you wanted to throw up? Your Mom at least dressed you up right? I bet you were a little nerd. For some reason I can see you going as a traffic cone for safety."

Bruce flicked the spider into Tony's face. "Very funny. No, I never dressed up for Halloween. My parents… didn't celebrate it."

"Oh...They were one of those lame parents that thought Halloween was evil, huh?" Tony laughed. "Imagine what they would say if they knew you're roommates with an angel." Thor wandered out of the hallway. "Right on cue. What candy should he have first? Chocolate or pure chemicals?"

Bruce rolled his eyes and then turned to Thor with a smile. "Hey, Thor. How are you?"

"Well, I suppose." Thor sighed. "Everything looks dull compared to my vision as an angel. Was the world always so orange and black?"

Tony laughed. "No man, its Halloween!"

Thor looked between the two in confusion until Bruce sighed.

"Humans in several countries celebrate a holiday called Halloween. Its apparently based on folklore from centuries ago. People dress up in costumes to be whoever or whatever they want to be and get and give candy." Bruce looked pointedly at Tony. "I think its just a way for corporations to make more money by using folklore as a front."

"Ah, yes." Thor smiled slightly in recognition. "I remember humans celebrating harvest festivals about this time. So is that what is happening now? And you said you believe corporations are responsible? Does that mean Sir Stark is at fault as well?"

Bruce scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I meant corporations that sell everything that has to do with Halloween."

Tony gave Bruce a shove. "Don't listen to him. He's a spoil-sport! Now the majority of people just drink and party a lot. And candy. Don't forget candy." Tony smiled and tossed Thor a candy bar. "Give it a shot. And take the wrapper off...Bruce this one is for you. You look like a chocolate sort of guy."

"Thanks…" Bruce said as they all unwrapped their candy. Thor took a bite and chewed a few times before smiling.

"Interesting! Its very sweet! I like it," Thor said excitedly.

"That's the point of candy." Tony jumped off the couch. "Kids love it. They go door-to-door to get some from each house. If the house does not give them candy, they get pranked."

Thor let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, children. I just hope that the pranks are not like those of Tricksters!"

"Not even kids have that much power." Tony shook his head. "They just throw eggs and toilet paper your house. Though I give out big candy bars. They love me."

"That's because you're just a big kid yourself," Bruce laughed.

"Do you partake in Halloween with the children, Sir Stark?" Thor asked.

"I'm too old for anything fun." Tony grumbled. "Halloween is mostly considered a 20 and under sort of thing. Though I am old and rich enough to buy all the candy I want!"

"You're not too old that you don't try pulling pranks on people anymore," Bruce said and picked the rubber spider out of Tony's hand.

"Well I'm never too old for that." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted. "There is a letter that claims to be urgent addressed to you. I am sending it up now."

"It's too late for the mail to run. It's almost dark." Tony walked over to the elevator and soon came back with an envelope in his hands. "No return address… wierd."

"So its either related to the hunting business or somebody sent you a death threat as a CEO?" Bruce sighed, half-joking.

"I've gotten worse, but just in case its something dangerous, you open it Thor." Tony passed off the letter and ran over to the other side of the room.

"He's human, Tony," Bruce said, giving Thor an apologetic look as he took the envelope from him. "I'll open it."

Bruce opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. He read a few lines and frowned.

"Whose it from?

"Who do you think?" Bruce held up a letter and Tony did not even have to touch it before he recognized the straight lines of Loki's handwriting.

"'Dearest Stark, Banner, and former angel'." Tony began. "'I have planned a game for you and all in your fair city.' Well that's just great. 'Do come to Central Park before the sun sets. If you are late you will miss all the fun.' What the hell does he mean by 'fun'?"

"Probably something that only he would find fun," Bruce said as he dropped the envelope onto a table. "This just reeks of a trap."

"Aye," Thor agreed. "But what would happen if we did not show ourselves before him? He might harm innocent lives in vengeance."

"He's not a vengeance sort of guy…" Tony groaned. "But we should probably go anyway and see what he wants… Maybe he just want's candy and then he'll go away."

"I doubt that," Bruce sighed. "We better at least go prepared for anything."

They certainly were not alone on their way to Central Park. Hundreds of people were quickly making their way to the park entrances. Once they got close there was a table with a Stark Logo lining the sidewalk around the park. On the table was a Starkphone and a backpack, free for the taking. Tony eyed it suspiciously and picked one up as he passed, following the lead of the people around him and the advice of the sign that read 'For the game'.

"It looks like one of yours." Bruce said quietly as they followed the rest of the crowd.

"It is one of mine!" Tony sighed. "This one was a reject model, I didn't like the design." He started swiping through the screens. "It has preloaded software on it I didn't write...I didn't even approve it….I don't think I did anyway. I don't remember my company hosting a community game, let alone give out free phones so people can play."

"So, this has something to do with Loki then, huh?" Bruce said quietly as they further blended into the crowd.

"That or someone is about to get fired." Tony looked up at the crowd. "Or not...People really seem to be loving this...May be this could be a good PR stunt."

Once they got inside the park they were soon approached by Lust. His demeanor was the same stoically blank look as ever, his hair still long and messy, and his vacant, exhausted looking eyes would not stop staring at Tony. The only part of him that was festive was a small pair of stuffed black horns sittin on top of his head and some leathery black wings on his back with a matching thick scaly tail. Likely Loki dressed him up to look like a dragon.

"There is the man of the hour." Loki said with a smile walking behind Lust. "I have need of you."

"Do not dare even think of harming Sir Stark," Thor said, glaring at Loki along with Bruce.

"I swear on my honor," Loki said holding up his hand. "No human shall die in my game. Besides, I am within my rights. Stark belongs to me. Isn't that right?" Loki looked down at the spot Tony's chest where the light of his soul was shining dimly.

Tony looked down and shook his head. "He's right Thor...Don't have much of a choice, really. What do you want, Loki?"

"Just for you to be a good boy and start off my game." Loki smiled and started to walk towards the main stage. Tony followed begrudgingly. "Just follow the script I give you." Loki put his hand to Tony's head and suddenly a wave of information filled his mind. "And then you are free to go for the time being."

Tony rubbed his temples and sighed. "I hate you Loki."

The moment Tony stepped on the stage something changed. His scowl changed into a joyous grin and he was soon waving at the crowd below him. He laughed and smiled and soon grabbed the microphone. "Welcome to the first annual Stark Industries Halloween Hunt!" The crowd cheered for a bit before letting Tony continue. "You all got your complimentary phones right? Cause you're going to need them for the game. And for that, I'll give the mic over to Luke Laufeyson, Head of Sales and Marketing for Stark Industries and this year's…" Tony almost broke his enthusiasm. "Halloween King."

Loki pranced on stage soon followed by Lust with little applause, but enough to keep his ego afloat. "Thank you Mr. Stark. The rules of the game are simple." Loki explained. "Throughout the park I have hidden monsters. You are all going to hunt them using these." Lust held up a backpack and started pulling out items as Loki described them. "This bag contains your hunting equipment. Your generously provided Starkphones contain the known weaknesses of each monster and how they should be defeated. You will have various ingredients to bind the beasts: salt, holy water, what have you. And you will slay them with this." Lust pulled out a colorful gun and handed it to Loki. "One hit and the monster is slain and the points are added to your team's score. And do not worry." Loki absently shot Tony in the leg. The shell of the bullet cracked and spilled a mixture of salt, silver shavings, and holy water onto his pants. "The ammo is perfectly safe for humans. You have until midnight to kill as many monsters as you can. The team with the most points gains the Halloween King's favor, which can be exchanged for something very valuable. Isn't that right, Stark?"

"Sure is." Tony said slowly once the microphone was close enough to catch his voice.

"So have fun everyone! And remember, that this is a night for monsters. So do try not become one yourselves. And play nice. There are plenty of supplies hidden around the Park." Loki looked over to Tony with a smile. "Let the hunt begin!" Loki fired once in the air and the crowd quickly began to disperse.

"You have got to be kidding me," Bruce muttered as Tony came back over to him and Thor. "His game is to make people hunters?"

"Apparently." Tony said rubbing his head. "I hate when he does that to me…"

"But you performed your role so well." Loki said with a smile. "I'm so glad you received my letter in time."

"Do you really think we're playing your game?" Bruce asked. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, but you have to." Loki pointed to the phones in each of their hands. "You agreed when you turned on the device. There was a terms of service you agreed to correct." Tony's face fell. Loki grinned. "I added a provision. You and everyone playing have agreed to loan me their souls for the duration of the game. If you wish for rights to your soul returned, you will have to make sure my game ends in the proper manner."

Bruce scowled and Thor frowned. "All we must do is hunt monsters then?" Thor asked.

"That is all." Loki smiled as Lust tossed each of them a backpack of supplies. "I might throw a few surprises around during the night, just to keep things interesting. And I expect that you will win this night. I would hate for experienced hunters to lose to novice children. Winner receives a free wish from a demon, after all."

"The only wish I would make is to send you back to Hell permanently," Bruce muttered as he caught the bag.

"Win and I might just have to grant that wish." Loki grinned. "But I must take my leave. I have a game to run after all. Do try to keep the monsters at bay." Loki could not stop a laugh from escaping his lips as he vanished from sight.

As the sun finally set and the lights buzzed to life in the park Tony could not help but feel a hollow twist in his stomach. He could not shake the feeling that there was something more to this game than Loki was letting on.

"Well, we might as well get started," Bruce said with a sigh, grabbing a gun and a blade and shouldering his bag. He looked over at Tony. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know…. I guess." Tony rubbed his stomach once and picked up a bag. " I think I might of had too much candy is all. You ready to go on your first hunt as a human, Thor?"

"I only hope that my skills have not disappeared along with my grace," he said with a hint of sadness and grabbed a blade, shouldering his own bag.

"I doubt losing your angel card get's rid of an eternity of fighting experience. I mean, have you seen your arms?" Tony added, as he digged through his own bag for a weapon before his paused. He pulled out a pair of plastic vampire fangs. "The Hell? Do you all have Loki's stalker gifts in your bags too?"

Bruce and Thor looked at each other and then pulled their bags off and looked in them.

Bruce frowned at the wolf mask in his hand. "I don't remember seeing this in the bag before."

Thor pulled out a headband with devil horns and grimaced. "Is this supposed to be a joke?"

"You know Loki just did it to make you angry, buddy." Tony sighed. "Well...let's get into the holiday spirit." Tony worked the fangs into his mouth. They fit surprisingly well, much to Tony's dismay. "Has Loki been making molds of my mouth?" Tony pulled the fangs out and looked at the molding. "I need to update the warding in my room."

Thor grimaced as he put the headband on. Bruce just looked at the mask and twirled it in his hand. "How am I even supposed to see in this thing?" he asked but still slowly put it on.

"Just push it to the side." Tony said as he popped the fangs back in and chomped his teeth a few times to make sure they would stick. "Thor...You don't have to wear the horns. They are a bit insulting right?"

Bruce pushed it to the side of his head with a shrug. Thor continued to frown. "I… I will not be brought down by a lowly demon," he said, as he slowly looked up with a rising look of determination. "I am only doing this to celebrate a human festival with my friends."

"Okay Thor." Tony said slowly. "As long as you feel okay with it all. Come on. Let's get a hunting!"

Chapter 2

Two hours into the hunt and so far nothing dangerous was going on. Loki had a few demons in costumes running around but they would vanish upon getting hit. Tony did not know if these demons were on some sort of payroll, but he knew that whatever they were being paid was never going to be enough. There were so many kids pulling on them and stabbing them and shooting them. Tony was sure that Loki must of had a very tight leash on all of them just to keep them from turning on the players.

Tony's team, code named 'Avengers', was currently in the lead by a few hundred points. Tony got in the hunting mood quickly and was blasting rock 'n roll on a loop from his phone. It took by the third listen through for Bruce to recognize the subtle exorcism hidden in the chorus. It made each demon around them much easy to identify by their loud groans. By the second hour though, Thor was starting to get annoyed.

"Must we listen to this song again, Stark?" Thor rolled his eyes. "I doubt this is helping the hunt."

"Actually, it has been," Bruce said softly. You placed excerpts from certain exorcisms in the songs, right? That's really clever."

"I'm surprised you haven't noticed sooner." Tony smiled. "I have it playing in my lobby in some new age hippie music. Keeps demons out of my office. If you want Thor I can change the song. How about something more...Baroque? Would that work?"

"I would prefer silence!" Thor snapped, then paused. "My apologies. But something about your music is getting on my nerves, so to say. I remember the classic works praising Heaven and God. I would love to hear them again."

Bruce shrugged at Tony. "It'd have the same effect, I guess. It doesn't bother me either way; I can tune it out."

"Okay, classical it is!" Tony pulled out his phone and started poking the screen and soon there was a surge of violins and horns and and a choir singing the same exorcism, but at a slower tempo than before. "Better Thor?"

Thor grimaced slightly, but tried to smile. "It is better, th...thank you Stark."

Bruce frowned at Thor. "Thor, are you feeling al-?" Groans interrupted Bruce and he turned around to the source of the noise. Three demons stood in a group and they looked at the team in surprise before taking off in different directions.

"Meet you back here?" Tony smirked and looked at the two who nodded in agreement. "Right, see you two later!" Tony jumped over a bush and started to chase his demon while Bruce pursued his deep into the woods. Thor stood tall and ran his demon down.

Bruce ran further into the woods and stopped when he lost sight of the demon. He caught his breath and looked around, realizing that he had run past the regular walking area in Central Park. There was no one around for over a mile; all he heard was the chirping of crickets.

Bruce frowned and walked ahead, looking around and trying to listen over the crunch of the fallen leaves under him. A smell different from his surroundings suddenly and sharply entered his nose and he turned towards the right to see the demon he had lost hiding behind a tree. When the demon realized that Bruce spotted him, he turned on his heels and ran, Bruce immediately running behind him.

He considered that the demon would outrun him again; it hadn't taken that long before for the demon to outrun him earlier, but Bruce was surprised to realize that he was right on his heels. With a final surge, Bruce caught up to the demon and tackled him to the ground. The demon flashed black eyes at Bruce and snarled as Bruce turned him around to face him. Bruce pulled out his angel blade and pulled it back to stab him. When he lunged, the demon broke an arm free and knocked the blade to the side, the blade falling to the ground several feet away. The demon smirked at Bruce and Bruce felt something in him snap. The next thing he knew, the demon lied dead with slashes on his neck.

Bruce caught his breath and blinked in surprise. He looked down at his hand and nearly screamed, his voice catching in his throat. The demon's blood was on his hand; under his fingernails. His fingernails themselves were now elongated and sharp. Looking down to his wrist, his entire hand was elongated as well. Bruce stood up and took several steps back. He backed into a tree and slumped down, his eyes never leaving the demon.

"Nicely done, Doctor." Bruce suddenly heard Loki's voice echoing in the distance. He turned around looking for the demon but could not see him anywhere. "I suspected you would be first, being so close to a monster yourself."

"What did you do?!" Bruce asked hoarsely, looking back at his hand.

"Now don't be angry, I gave you fair warning." Loki laughed. "I told you not to be consumed by the monsters. Seems your's caught up to you." There was a small laugh. "You will look so adorable when you are complete."

Bruce pulled himself up shakily and staggered slowly to the fallen angel blade. He leaned down to pick it up, but blinked at how bright it shined. He looked up for the source but saw no other light but the moon. A sudden, sharp pang stabbed into his ribs and he fell over with a scream.

"I would suggest you try not to fight it too much." Loki's voice rang in Bruce's growing ears. "It would only make things worse for you. But do not worry. Your friends will meet a similar fate soon enough, as will everyone else playing my game. Then the fun will really begin!"

"Y-you're no-t get-ting away with… wi-!" Bruce cut himself off with a scream and Loki laughed triumphantly.

"I already have dear doctor." Loki answered. "I already have."

Bruce spasmed again as Loki's haunting voice filled the air around him. His bones were shifting and braking and it was all he could do to remain conscious. The only force driving him now was the glow of the moon. Bruce could not remember the full moon looking more beautiful in his life. It had never been so bright and big before. It made him feel like it was a part of him. He loved it. He needed it. He reached up a clawed hand and howled in defiance to the damned distance between him and the glorious moon. He snarled and howled again as he tried to stand and claw at the sky but he kept falling into a crumpled heap on his weary, changing legs.

Suddenly there was a shadowy figure standing between him and the moon. He barked and snapped his growing teeth at the figure, but the lack of moonlight filling his eyes made him feel slow. Soon, Bruce fell into an exhausted sleep.

When Bruce woke up he found himself in a densely wooded area. He moved his hand to rub his burning eyes but was met with twisting claws and hairy hands. He breathed heavily and put his twisted hands to his face and felt his protruding mouth topped with a wet black nose. He grabbed at the sides of his head and felt long, pointed ears. He was starting to panic and dug his claws into his sides, grasping himself in order to ground himself.

"Bruce!" Steven's voice echoed loudly, making Bruce's new ears twitch as a whine escaped his throat against his will. "Bruce, are you alright?"

Bruce let out a groan at the volume and looked up with bleary eyes. He blinked several times and Steven came into hyper-focus. "Ste-" the rest came out as a growl and he jumped, looking down at his hands again and beginning to hyperventilate.

"Easy, Bruce." Steven said in a lower voice, putting his hands in Bruce's large claws. "I'm here. Please relax. You will be alright. I promise you. You will be alright."

Bruce took a few breaths, but he still shook as he looked down at Steven's hands in his own gnarled ones. The sight of dried red liquid on his fingers made an empty pit in his stomach and he let out a groan, his eyes never leaving the red. The hand that was covered in blood shook further as he drew it closer to his chest and sniffed at it, letting out a moan once the smell twisted another knot in his stomach.

"Bruce." Steven said and Bruce's ears perked up slightly at the mention of his name. "You are not a monster. This is a surface change." Steven put a hand over Bruce's heart. "You're soul is still human. You are falling to instincts; nothing you can't fight. Relax Bruce. Please, let me help you."

Bruce looked back down to see the hand with blood on it was still held tightly by the angel. He looked back up and snarled at Steven and tried to pull his hand back. Steven let go, but still stared at Bruce determinedly. Bruce looked from his hand and back to Steven and, after breathing deeply, slammed his hand into the ground, digging his claws into the dirt to cover the scent of the blood. Steven smiled.

"Are you feeling better now Bruce?" Steven asked softly as he stepped back to give Bruce room to stand on his slightly longer legs.

Bruce nodded slowly and started to stand, but his shaky and changed hind legs made him fall. Steven caught him.

"It would be better if you walked on fours, huh?" Steven asked softly. Bruce swiftly shook his head and stood back up, although not able to reach his full height. He was about eye-level with Steven now.

Bruce suddenly looked at him with worry and opened his mouth, trying to form words. "To-ny… Tho…" he managed to growl out as he looked desperately at the angel.

Steven looked down. "I know not. I felt a sudden influx of monsters here and came to investigate when I found you. But we will find them. I will not leave your side until we do." Steven helped Bruce take a few shaky steps before he got used to walking again on his own. "With practice you should regain control of your voice. If we keep you out of the moonlight some changes might recede as well. I took you away from the light when you lost consciousness, and it appears true. Just keep your breathing steady."

Bruce and Steven made their way slowly and shakily through the woods, reaching a walking path not too long after. Throughout the entire trip, Steven would ask Bruce questions on just about anything, trying to make Bruce respond and get his voice back. They stayed under the trees and every once in a while, Bruce would let out a moan and Steven would turn his head in Bruce's direction, only to relax when he saw some of Bruce's more feral qualities recede. So far all Bruce retained was a slight muzzle with a few teeth poking out from beneath is lips and pointed hairy ears that twitched every now and again at the various noises around them. His hands still bore the long claws, but other than that they looked human. His legs mostly regained their human configuration as well though they still could not be considered human. But occasionally Steven would see Bruce cast a lazy glance up at the moonlight, quiet growls would escape his throat, and the changes would start once again before Steven took his attention back.

Bruce managed to lead them back to where the three originally took their separate ways and sure enough they found Thor huddled close to a drinking fountain, seemingly just waiting for the others to return.

"Thank Heaven." Steven said looking to Bruce. "He still looks human too. What a blessing."

Bruce nodded, "Y-yes," he said brokenly. Steven walked ahead and Bruce followed quickly behind him, looking away swiftly every time a person would point him out and whisper about his 'costume'. Steven looked to the people and they soon disappeared. Steven looked to Bruce with a soft smile and Bruce felt his lips tug upwards in thankful understanding, showing off his sharper teeth. When they approached Thor, the two realized that something might be wrong.

"Thor, how are you?" Steven asked happily as he bent down to his knees to look him in the face.

The moment Thor looked up and met Steven's eyes his own turned black for an instant before he turned in panic and dipped his hand into the fountain and pushed the water to his face and his eyes. Billows of smoke rose from where the water touched him. "Do not look at me...Do not approach me...I have become a mockery of Heaven. Leave me!"

"Thor!" Steven grabbed at Thor's hands and held his wrists tightly, pulling them away from the holy water. "You were taken by Loki too, weren't you?" he whispered.

"Leave me, I said!" Thor tried to shove Steven away, and Steven let go, but he still held his ground.

"Never," Steven shushed. "Brother, I'm so sorry that I came so late. I can help you with this. You are not a demon; you are still pure of heart. Please, listen to my words and calm down."

"How can your words give me comfort?" Thor said as he pulled himself up and took a step back. "First I fell from Heaven, then when I was finally able to return, my grace was stolen from me. And now I face the fate of all mortals who stray from the path. If this is not truly my current state then it surely will be my future one." Thor looked back at the water. "This form...makes me think naught of pain. I made this water holy and I find the burn...humorous. And my opponent." Thor motioned over to the corpse of the demon at the edge of the woods. "I ripped him to pieces with an anger lacking the purity of divine justice… I feel a dark power within me… And it is only because I know I will regret it later that I ask you to stay away from me, because right now," Thor let out a laugh. "I would see you all scream in pain before I give you a second of my time, you wretched angel!"

"Thor, I am not leaving you," Steven said with confidence, standing upright and taking a step forward. "What is happening to you is only on the surface. You are still an Angel of the Lord, my brother in arms, but most importantly, you are my friend." Steven reached out an open palm. "Please, let me help you."

Thor sighed and took Steven's hand but withdrew it quickly when it burned him. "I...I shall accept your aid. Have you found the others?"

"I was able to find Bruce, but I have not yet found Stark," Steven said solemnly.

"And where is Bruce?" Thor laughed. "Did his demon rip him to pieces? The weak human probably called that monster in him to protect him."

Bruce turned away and quickly walked off.

"Wait!" Steven yelled after him, but Bruce didn't stop. Steven turned back to Thor. "Why would you say that?!"

Thor opened his mouth to speak but suddenly grabbed his head and fell to his knees in pain. soon blood started to spill from between his fingers as two large horns like a ram started to curl around each side of his head.

"Fascinating isn't it?" Steven heard Loki's voice behind him. "What a few hundred souls can create with a little push. Physical transformations really do bring out the worst in people don't they, angel? Mortals just care too much about their appearance."

Steven tried to put his hands on Thor for comfort, but drew away, remembering the burn that he caused him before. "Why and how are you doing this, Loki?" Steven yelled. "What is this madness?!"

"It is a very complicated, very powerful spell, dear angel." Loki smiled and tossed Steven a backpack. "All part of a little game of mine. If you join I'll tell you more."

Steven dropped the bag. "Is whatever is causing this have to do with these bags?" Steven stalked over to Loki to stand in his face when Lust materialized in front of him, eyes glaring and unmerciful. "I'm not joining this game. Those whom you have tricked need someone of sober mind to care for them!"

Loki clicked his tongue. "Very well, spoil sport. I suppose someone should know what my game truly is anyway." Loki pulled out the Starkphone and put it in Steven's hand. "Paragraph 38, line 45. The player hereby agrees to a three part hunt. Throughout the course of the hunt the player relinquishes control and rights of his/her body and soul to the demon Loki to do with as he will. During the first half the player will collect as many points as he/she can hunting the provided targets. After two hours the second half begins. During this time the game becomes a player - versus - player tournament. When a player is hit, they lose points and are demoted in their rank. If their rank is lowered enough, they fall into 'Monster' status, thus losing the rights of 'Hunter' but gaining the rights provided to the 'Monster', strength, heightened senses, etc." Loki paused and smiled to himself. "'Monster' status can and will be attained at random intervals during stage two. This can be also triggered by engaging in monstrous behaviour, such as personally assaulting a target without use of a weapon. Honestly it's all there in black and white. Can you really blame me that these mortals agreed to it willingly?"

Steven skimmed through the text. "It also states that this comes into effect when the device is 'turned on'. But they would not be able to read the contract if they do not 'turn on' the device." Steven looked at Loki with contempt. "This lacks justice! End this game before I end you!"

Lust stepped in-between them again, ready to grab Steven's throat, but Loki laughed and placed a hand on his guard's shoulder, pushing his arm back down.

"I am within my rights." Loki shook his head. "There is a provision in the contract that the players are free to break the deal anytime before the second stage. Two hours is plenty of time to read the contract and break the deal."

Steven held the phone out. "Then how does the game end?"

"Not how but when, dear angel." Loki pushed the phone back. "Sunrise. Then all can return to as it was. The winner also receives a wish."

"And let me guess: the wish is a trick, isn't it?" Steven frowned. "Leave our presence, demon, if all you wish to do is gloat in others' misery."

"Now 'misery' is a strong word." Loki said as he turned to leave. "Some of my players find this game rather thrilling, even the monster part. They dress as one this night after all. It may very well be that the winner could wish for this game to never end. And I am honor-bound by our contract to grant whatever wish the winner desires. Even if it should cause the other players this 'misery'."

"Then I shall be sure that wish is not granted." Loki waved him off and vanished. Steven gave one last longing look at Lust before the Sin turned indifferently and followed Loki's lead. Steven sighed and turned back to Thor, whom had just recovered from his recent change.

"Brother, are you alright?" Steven asked softly.

"I feel as if my head has split in two." Thor's hands ran across his new horns as his frown deepened. "How...how vile of a creature have I become?"

Steven shook his head. "Not at all, Thor. Your soul is still your own; it is pure. You are still an Angel of the Lord, no matter what happens."

"I admire your sentiment, but the facts remain that everything holy burns me." Thor kept one hand on his head. "And these horns...More proof of my fall."

"That is not true, Thor. This is only a surface change. This is all a game made by Loki. You will be rid of anything that makes you appear demonic by sunrise, but until then we must continue this game. The winner gets to make a wish, and I fear that some might wish to make this game permanent. Will you help me find Stark and Dr. Banner and succeed in this challenge?"

"You shall always have my aid." Thor said as he stood. Once he reached his full height he paused and looked around. "How far do you think Sir Bruce has gone? I have no idea how we can track him…"

"I… do not know," Steven said softly. "We will just have to track hordes of monsters and hope that we can find him. Hopefully he is trying to find Stark," Steven said as they started walking to where Bruce walked off. "You did… see him, right?"

"I saw a figure nothing more." Thor answered. "Is he well? By your words it is safe to assume he has fallen under Loki's spell as well."

Steven sighed and looked away. "Aye. He was… doing better than before. However, I fear what is to come if we do not find him and keep him on the right track. Loki was saying something about costumes… turning into the monsters you wear. Tell me, were you wearing a costume when you started this game?"

Thor stopped walking at that question. Steven stopped as well and looked questioningly at Thor. Suddenly a torrent of fire erupted around Thor as he bellowed a scream. "That thousand times damned creature! I will rend his soul to ashes for his mockery! He has cursed us all for his foul amusements! I will rip out his throat with my own hands if I must, but he will not breathe for another hour more!"

"Thor, that's enough!" Steven yelled, trying to take out the fire. "We can't just take our vengeance out on him; you and I both know that we cannot take him down alone. The only thing we can do is continue this game. He will receive his justice, but we must continue on!"

Thor took a few deep breaths and soon the fire died down and only remained as a small glow in the palm of his hands, though now each finger was adorned with short sharp claws. Thor looked at them in horror and quickly pushed his hands to his sides. "Come. Perhaps the others saw the blaze."

Steven nodded and caught up with Thor, making sure to walk side-by-side with him.

Chapter 3

Bruce stumbled through the woods as he continued to walk aimlessly. What Thor said had hurt him, and he was not sure whether Thor was under the same curse he was, or if that was how Thor truly felt about him. He considered going back, but he was afraid to face him just incase it was the truth. Bruce let a frustrated snarl slip past his maw as he slammed a fist into a tree, causing the birds, squirrels, and bats that nested there to scatter from the force. Bruce raised a clawed hand over his mouth from the noise. He was not sure if it was his better hearing but the growl sounded very loud. He looked around to see if he had attracted the attention of any of the other players and cursed himself when his ears turned and picked up the soft crunch of leaves a few yards away. He scrambled to get the backpack off of him and dig for a weapon. He spotted the blade and went to take it when it burned his skin, making him literally howl from the shock. He felt his ears fall close to his head in shame at his outburst but suddenly heard the footsteps coming closer. He managed to fish the blade out of the bag without touching it and finally found the gun. He reached in and tried to hold it in his larger clawed hands, but his changes had stolen most of the dexterity from his fingers and the more nervous he became the more and more difficult it was becoming the hold the gun. Soon it clattered to the ground and he scrambled to pick it back up but his fingers were not moving right. He was whining in frustration and fear. The footsteps were getting closer and closer. They were going to think he was a monster to be hunted. They would shoot him with silver filled bullets and he would be defenseless to stop them.

Bruce's new nose started to twitch as it took in the air and all of the scents around him. He hated that his body was acting on its own like this. Each whine, twitch of his nose, and swivel of his ears made him feel all the more like a beast. His hands were almost completely useless as hands now, no better than paws really. Bruce sniffed the air again and the smell was not welcoming. He tried to stand but fell, finding that his legs had once more shifted into a more animal configuration. Bruce whined again, but did not have time to try to stand like a man. The footsteps were coming closer and the scent was the strong foul smell of demons. There were too many of them to fight by himself. By the sound of it there must have been at least five of them.

Bruce didn't want to be the monster he looked like. He was still human after all, right? He knew it was best to avoid any kind of battle in case he lost himself to the wolf, or worse. With a regretful sigh, he turned and got onto all fours, trying to run from the demons. He heard the footsteps move faster, but he was faster in his new form than a human vessel was. Bruce found a shadowy area amongst the trees and hid in there, catching his breath and hoping to keep out of the moonlight as much as possible. He wondered how far he had ran from their original meeting spot and contemplated going back, but looking down at how his features had changed swiftly from the time they had met Thor, Bruce didn't want to return. He curled his legs into his chest and decided to wait it out, hoping that something good would happen soon.

With a sigh Bruce tried to even his breathing like he did when Steven found him. As he did so he could hear his bones popping as the more animal parts of him began to revert back to human, though much slower than before. His ears felt bigger and more wolf like now, as they sat slightly higher on his head. Or had his head changed so that they would be higher? He did not want to think about it. He slowly opened and closed his claws as he tried to work the dexterity back into them. They were stiff and dirty from running like that. His fingertips seems slightly thicker and larger now, almost as if he hands were changing to get used to running on all fours. rubbed each finger and felt the building thick skin and his heart sank. He was turning into a monster. He had to accept it. Sure he could change back to mostly human for now, but how long before he forgot he was ever human in the first place? How much longer before he decided that it would be simpler to become a wolf and live like the beast he was becoming?

He breathed out heavily and saw his breath in the chilly air before his shortening muzzle. His longer tongue suddenly popped out of his mouth and licked his nose, causing Bruce to sneeze. He slowly opened his mouth and with a clawed finger felt his bigger teeth and lolling tongue. He lifted up what remained of his clothes and saw patches of hair growing thicker and thicker around his body. His feet were practically animal paws now, no point lying to himself. He would likely never walk like he used to again. He tried to feel his hips to see if he would at least be able to walk like a human and was pleased to find that they were still correct, though he did discover a long bushy tail poking out right above his pants.

"Well arrrghn't you in a spot." Bruce rolled the 'r' involuntarily.

"Hey!" A sluggish voice shouted behind Bruce. "This is my spot!"

Bruce whirled around and involuntarily snarled at the intruder, ready to defend himself from anything that came after him.

"Put your dog on a leash!" The man said, obviously not noticing Bruce yet. "I'm tired and hungry and I found this spot first!"

"...Tony?" Bruce let his defensive stance fall. He took a step forward but then looked down at his paws and wearily took a few steps back, staying in the dark.

"...Bruce?" The man said with a laugh. "Bruce is that you?! Oh finally, I thought I lost everyone."

"What happened to the meeting spot? I thought we wegrr-," Bruce put a hand over his snout and took another step back. "...W-what happened with you?"

"Ah….I kinda...got hungry." Tony admitted. "Very...very hungry."

Bruce remembered the smell of the blood on his hand and involuntarily grabbed at his stomach. "I...I see. Did you g-get anything?"

Tony hesitated. "Yes...But I threw it up." He walked closer and Bruce could see Tony's glowing red eyes. "My stomach won't accept park food. I tried everything I could get my hands on. It all came back up….I'm so hungry Bruce."

Bruce finally got the scent of vampire and he felt himself gag, the scent smacking him like a hand across his face. Bruce wanted to grab his friend to tell him it would be okay, but he recoiled at the sight of his hands and took a step back.

"Tony… what happened to you?" Bruce asked softly.

"I….I don't know." Tony crossed his arms protectively. "I was hunting the demon and after I took care of him I felt sick and threw up and kept puking till I was empty. Then I was starving, but nothing would stick. I'm scared Bruce. I can hear my heart pounding. It's so freaking loud! I -" Suddenly Tony stopped talking, a look of fear in his eyes. It was a moment before Bruce's ears turned and heard the sound of distant church bells. Tony suddenly bolted inside a building past Bruce and dug his head between his knees like he was hiding from thunder, hands over his ears. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

"Tony! Its okay, listen to me!" Bruce walked up the steps carefully and peered into the doorway. His friend was in distress, and that was enough to make Bruce forget his appearance for a moment. "Tony… I saw Steven. He said its not what we think. It shouldn't be perrman-." When Bruce heard a growl escape his throat, he finally remembered what he was and paused in horror, watching Tony on the floor.

Once the sound of the bells finally faded Tony snapped out of his tantrum. "Heh...Sorry Bruce. Don't know what came over me. Just got spooked or something I guess. Are you doing okay?" Tony paused and sniffed the air. "Smells like a wet dog in here. And didn't I hear a dog before? Did you get a hunting buddy Bruce? Can I name him?"

Bruce backed away slowly, hiding behind the door frame before Tony could turn around. "N-no… We should… go find Steven and… and Tho-... y-you know. They should be able to help you. Don't worrr- I'm fine."

"Bruce?" Tony said cautiously but then abandoned his thought. "Alright, let's go. You said that angel was here again? Great! Maybe he can get me a burger or something. That bastard Loki has a barrier around the park so we can't leave. I was going to go get tacos too for when we met up again. So lead the way, I'll follow."

Bruce growled at hearing about a barrier around the park but then looked up and realized that he was out under the moonlight once more. It was so bright; so very beautiful in the way it glowed. He felt like could stare at it forever. His bones snapped and he was pulled out of his reverie with a groan. He took a few breaths and hid under the roof. When he finally felt himself starting to pop back into a more human form, he sighed and said softly, "Just… just head out the doorrr. Keep… keep heading that way. You'll find them. Take cargh of yourrrself firrst."

"I'm not leaving you here Scooby-Doo." Tony laughed and walked closer to Bruce, patting his shoulder as he passed. "It's super bright in here. You can't hide, you little fuzz-bull."

"...Oh," Bruce muttered softly and started to follow Tony. "You arrn't… freaking out," he was almost relieved. "I… I saw Thor before I came here. He's… not doing well."

"Was he stabbed?!" Tony asked quickly almost excited. "He's not...bleeding, is he?"

"N-no… he's turned into a demon."

"Oh…." Tony said slightly disappointed before realizing what Bruce said. "Wait! He's a demon! Oh hell….This must be a nightmare for the poor guy….How the hell did that happen? And what's the deal with you? Why has your costume game gone through the roof? Is Steven helping you cheat? I bet he is, isn't he?"

"I… I don't know how it happened." He then stopped in his tracks and looked at Tony incredulously. "Do you rrreally think I wanted to look like this?! I went after that demon and I… I was able to catch him despite how fast he was. I tried to to stab him, but he knocked the blade out of my hand. The next thing I knew, I… I slashed his throat." Tony looked at him, his emotions held easily behind a mask. "I hearrrd Loki… but I don't rememberrr what he said. I saw the moon and… and I changed. Now… now I guess I'm a werewolf," Bruce let out a hollow laugh and wrapped his elongated, hairy arms around his chest when he suddenly looked as if he was realizing something. "...And Thor's a demon… and… and yourrr eyes…"

Tony laughed nervously. "What you think I'm a vampire just cause of the fangs Loki gave me. They are fake Bruce see." Tony reached into his mouth and pulled out the plastic fangs, however a set of real fangs remained. "I'm not a monster Bruce. Stop trying to scare me. My eyes are fine."

"Tony…" Bruce started carefully. "Yourrr eyes are red, yourrr teeth are pointed, and you argh staghrving but can't keep down normal food…"

"No! Bruce I can't be a vampire. And you're not a werewolf. We would both have to have been around a real vampire and werewolf for that to be true, and we've been here. Now where is Steven. You're growls are starting to creep me out."

"Then what did I go through when I saw the moon, Tony?! What have I been going through since I… since I saw…" Bruce looked up at the moon with glazed eyes and his snapping bones pulled him back. "Look at me!" Bruce pushed his morphing hand under Tony's nose. Bruce took several deep breaths and pulled away from Tony, cradling his hand. "I… I don't know how it happened… but it did. All I know is that we need to get together and finish this game before… before something worrrse happens…"

Tony raised a hesitant hand and touched his mouth and felt the long fangs in their place. He tried to feel for his pulse and found nothing. He walked over to Bruce and felt his pulse and his face fell. "I was never hearing my heartbeat… It was yours. I...Oh God I'm a vampire!" Tony fell to the ground. "Natasha's going to kill me…"

Bruce struggled to kneel down, so he instead leaned over Tony. "It… it can't be perrrmanent. What did Loki's r-rules say?" He tried to push his hand into his pocket, but couldn't make his fingers bend. A whine involuntarily escaped from his throat, but he looked back at Tony and tried to stay positive. "N-neverr mind. We do know that the winnerrr gets a wish, rr-ight? So that means the game has to end sometime. Let's go find Steven and Thorr, okay?"

"Yeah...Yeah okay." Tony stood up and looked to Bruce. "We'll get back to normal, promise. And if not, I'll get every plastic surgeon in the country to at least make you look normal again."

Bruce grimaced. "I wasn't really normal in the firrst place," he sighed and started to lead the way.

"Well I wasn't going to mention it, but your nose could have used some work. I mean if you want, once this is over I can make a few calls and-" Tony's face fell again as the church bells started up again signaling the quarter hour. Tony looked around for shelter again and finding none he seemed to crumple in on himself and vanish in a puff of smoke. A bat then flew into Bruce's chest and began to cower.

Bruce rose his arms and gently cupped the bat with one clawed hand, taking a clawed finger from the other and slowly and gently petting Tony's little head.

"It… hurrts my ears too…" he said softly when the bells stopped chiming.

"It's not that it's loud." Tony chittered. "But something about religious stuff weirds me out…." Tony suddenly realized where he was and jumped out of Bruce's hand and started flapping his wings on instinct. "The Hell happened? Why am I...? ...Shit I'm a vampire… Seems Loki is playing by movie monster rules, not real monster rules, huh?"

"We haven't completely lost ourrr minds yet, so that's always a plus," Bruce said with a toothy half-smile. "Can you change back… if you want to that is?"

"I don't even know how I changed in the first place…" Tony squeaked.

"Let's just keep moving then. We can figurre this out along the way." Bruce started walking away and then looked back at Tony. "Yourrr wings arrgh really tiny. Do you need a lift?"

Tony tried to sound insulted but it came out as an adorable squeak. "I am a strong independent vampire who don't need no wolf-man!" Tony started flying past Bruce. "Bet echolocation finds them before your big stupid nose can."

"Even if yourrs is betterr, which it isn't," Bruce said with a hint of pride. "You still couldn't beat me with those tiny wings."

"Don't get distracted sniffing any butts on the way then if you're so worried that you have to insult my totally awesome wings."

"Wait, that's not how you pick up a girl?" Bruce laughed and started to sniff around. He looked straight ahead and started to walk away, Tony coming up behind him.

"Not any girls you would want, Bruce." Tony commented before opening his mouth and letting out a small shout and listening for the echo. "Group of two to the left. Could be them?"

Bruce sniffed the air and frowned. The scents were definitely not human, but they were living. "We might as well check it out."

"I'll go." Tony offered. "I'm smaller and cuter than you." Tony then glided ahead and was gone for a few moments before shooting back through the trees shouting back at Bruce. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope!"

"What? What is it?!" Bruce's ears perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and he turned to the source of the noise.

Two men with eyes with multiple pupils and marred and scarred skin strode up slowly to Bruce and Tony. They smiled widely and suddenly spread webs towards them. Bruce grabbed Tony and dashed towards the side, escaping the webbing with swift speed. "Shit… arachne," Bruce whispered softly.

"And here I thought we had two humans," one of them said threateningly.

"They're souls are human, so it is a guise," the other said, looking on at their prey. "I don't want the hairy one. I'll make the man disguised as a bat my dinner."

Bruce snarled and let go of Tony, lunging at the arachnes. They spread their webs, but Bruce swiftly dodged and tackled the one that threatened Tony, ripping his throat open with one swipe of his claws. The other arachne looked on in shock at his dead companion and, when Bruce snarled at him, he turned and ran. Bruce leveled his glare to the dead arachne. "Don't touch him! Don't go near him!" Bruce slashed the arachne's chest. "He's mine!" Bruce slashed the dead arachne's face multiple times until it became a bloody, unrecognizable mess. Bruce was panting now, his tongue lolling over enlarged teeth as he groaned at the smell of the mess he made.

"Uh…" Tony said flying over the mangled corpse and looking to Bruce. "Thanks? You...doing okay, Mr. Possessive?"

Bruce growled at the bat and raised an arm to swat him away, but his other arm shot up and grabbed the accusing arm and pulled it down. "N-no…" his hands went to the gashes in the neck of the monster and he pulled it open with ease. His eyes were transfixed to the bloody mess and he let out another groan, wrapping his arms around his chest as if to hold himself in place.

"Easy Bruce. It's okay. You did what you had to." Tony chirped flying closer so Bruce would hear him. "Come on, we have to get back to finding Thor and Steven right?"

"Y-ye…. my stomach hurrts…" he trailed off as he broke through more bone.

"Com….Come on Bruce." Tony laughed weakly. "My widdle wings are getting tired."

"I'm… so hungry…"

"Yeah...Me too, Bruce." Tony said trying to avoid looking at the bloody feast below him. "But come on, have standards. We can get tacos! You like tacos, don'tcha Bruce?"

"I don't want that!" he snarled and dipped his head down towards the corpse.

"No!" Tony landed on Bruce's head and started pulling his ears as best he could. "You don't want to do this Bruce. You'll hate yourself forever if you do."

Bruce howled from the sensitivity of his ears being pulled and shouted into, but Tony didn't stop pulling and yelling until Bruce caught his breath from howling too long. He let in a choked gasp and breathed deeply, closing his eyes. Tony stopped pulling and watched in concern as Bruce opened his eyes calmly and looked down at the corpse.

"Oh my God!" he shrieked and pulled himself off, Tony quickly grabbing back on to his ears to hold on from the sudden movement. "What was I doing?!"

"Instincts took over." Tony sighed and jumped off Bruce. "You did not know what you were doing."

"I-I'm sorry…" Bruce looked between him and the corpse. "I'm so sorry… did I… did I hurrrt you?"

"Of course not." Tony said. "Come on get up. I'm still going to win our bet."

"Rrright…" Bruce looked at the corpse one more time and stood up walking with Tony as he was flying next to him.

Chapter 4

Bruce and Tony continued their search in relative silence. Tony would point out when he found someone and Bruce would smell the air and guess if it was Steven and Thor, or not. So far, it was not.

"Hey...Bruce?" Tony said after a while of searching. "You know this is kinda funny. Vampires and werewolves hate each other in movies and here we are, hunting together like we usually do."

Bruce scratched the back of his head carefully. "I guess it irrronic," he said with a sigh. "But we'rrre not werrewolves and vampirrres; we'rrre human still."

"I'm a bat and you got a tail." Tony squeaked. "I think were a little past human. Besides...we're those Sin things aren't we? That changes some things. You were acting all protective with me again back there; like how you were in the mansion when Steven attacked me… You feeling okay?"

Bruce frowned in disgust at the mention of the Sins. "Ugh, don't rrremind me of them." He let out a sigh. "I'm fine; rrreally."

"You sure?" Tony laughed. "Cause I'm starting to worry that you might be getting a bit too clingy. You're not going to imprint on me are you?"

Bruce blushed, but recovered quickly. "Only in yourrr drreams."

"You just want to get in my will. But jokes on you, I'm immortal!" Tony let out another screech and listened for the echo. "Two more people ahead. They aren't moving… What do you think?"

"We might as well," Bruce sighed. "Actually stay close this time, will you? You have puny wings," he said and walked ahead.

"What is with you and insulting my wings?" Tony tried his best to groan. "Are you upset that you're not the vampire or something?"

Bruce stopped and turned to watch Tony fly over, rolling his eyes and looking at his wrist as if there was a watch on it. "Oh yes, I would love to be a tiny and incrredibly slow bat."

"Oh, you wanna race, Scooby-Doo? Cause I've been holding back just so you wouldn't get left behind with those weird legs of yours."

"I wouldn't want you to tire out too soon. It'd be a shame if you lost contrrol and starrghted sparghkling everrywhere with yourr glitterrry chest, Cullen," Bruce smirked looking at the small glowing light of Tony's soul on the bat's chest and put his hands on his hips as Tony flew up next to him.

"Those are fighting words!" Tony snapped playfully. "First one to the clearing is the better monster."

"Fine, but I warn you: you don't have the same amount of experience at being a monster that I do."

"You don't need experience when you have raw talent!" Tony circled around Bruce's head. "And I bleed talent."

"Then stop cheating by making me dizzy," Bruce smirked. "On the count of 3?"

"Three!" Tony shouted and zipped forward between the trees ahead of Bruce.

"Cheaterr!" Bruce yelled and ran ahead on two feet. Bruce caught up to him quickly, but Tony gave an extra spurt of energy and charged ahead. Just before the clearing, Bruce found himself falling into line with Tony and when they made it to the end, they found themselves at a tie.

"Told you... I could fly fast." Tony said slowly, slightly out of breath.

"Yeah... well I could've... rrun on all fourrs but I didn't," Bruce smiled, panting slightly. "Yourr ego is welcome."

"Well at least I-omph!" Tony was interrupted by a strong hand pulling him from the air. Tony tried to move his wings but they were pinned in the grasp. He looked up to see Thor looking down at him.

Bruce went down on all fours, snarling at the demon grabbing Tony. He let out a roar and leaped to Thor to knock him to the ground to rip his throat open.

"Bruce!" Tony squeaked as he pulled himself out of Thor's limp grasp as Bruce pinned him to the ground. "It's Thor, isn't it? Come on, it looks like him. It smells like him too right?"

Bruce snarled, a rumbling noise coming from his throat as Tony pulled himself out. When Tony was able to speak, his ears perked up and he stopped. He leaned in to sniff Thor and gasped, jumping back off of him.

"I'm… I'm so sorghy!" he said, holding up clawed hands in surrender. "I-I just saw Tony get grrabbed and I...I…"

"You were protecting your master, beast. Nothing more." Thor said offhandedly and looked to Tony. "I see you have met the same misfortune as the others. Wonderful."

"Wherre's Steven?" Bruce asked softly.

Thor suppressed a groan. "This way." He turned and did not bother to see if they were following him or not.

"Okay." Tony said flying up to be level with Bruce. "I don't like bitchy demon Thor."

"And your appearance bothers me more than usual, Stark," Thor said without turning around.

"Shut up, I'm adorable." Tony said flying faster to catch up to Thor. "And you're one to talk with those horns of yours. Got a matching set of goat legs to go with them?"

Thor resisted the urge to smack Tony out of the sky. "Can you even leave that small form, or are you too weak?"

"Is this talk necessarry?" Bruce frowned.

"Is that them?" Steven's voice echoed from behind a small cluster of trees.

"Yes. It took them long enough to find us." Thor answered and pushed a bush aside to make room for them to pass.

In the center of the clearing was a small fire in the middle of a ring of stones for them to sit on. Steven sat at one end slightly hunched over. It was only when they got closer to the fire that Bruce saw the large white wings coming out of the angel's back. A soft ring of light floated over his head as well.

"It looks like Steven's a real little angel now after all." Tony squeaked quietly so that only Bruce would hear.

Bruce huffed in agreement and walked over to the fire. "So, I guess you found Loki tonight?" he asked hesitantly.

"Is it that obvious?" Steven laughed, moving his wings slightly. "He appeared shortly after you left. I was worried about you. I see you have succumbed to the wolf more. I am truly sorry I left you alone."

Bruce sat down solemnly, looking at his paws. "I'm… sorrry I left. You might not be like this now if I had stayed."

Thor plopped down away from the group. "Can we spare the pity party? Itb is quite irritating."

"Well aren't you a bundle of laughs today." Tony squeaked flying over to Thor and landing on his shoulder. "Not the best first Halloween is it?"

Thor grunted with annoyance and flicked Tony off his his shoulder, sending the little bat flying into the trunk of a tree and vanishing in a puff of smoke. Tony fell upside down from the smoke in his human form and slid back down onto the ground.

"I'm not a bat anymore? Yes! Oh God my arms!" Tony said as he tried to pull himself up off the ground. "Damn...That hurts...Ah." Tony stood up on shaky legs and found a place by the fire. Rubbing his hands together. "I missed having hands." He suddenly looked up to Bruce who was still looking at his paws. "Sorry Bruce…"

"Its fine," he said softly and sent Thor a glare. "Don't even trrry that again."

"It freed him from his bat form, did it not?" Thor frowned. "Pity I cannot cure you as I did your master."

"He's not my masterr," Bruce emphasized. "Its a shame that the only way to keep you quiet is by rripping out yourr-."

"OKAY!" Tony interrupted and sat down in-between Bruce and Thor. "And we're done here." Bruce frowned and looked away apologetically.

"I believe Thor is implying the...classic bond werewolves and vampires have in your culture." Steven said slowly, lacking his usual confidence. "Loki's notes detailed that werewolves were natural guards of vampires and quite protective of them. The vampire in turn would help control the wolf."

Bruce did not have it in him to retort, so he just let out a sigh and spoke quietly. "So… what do we do now? What's the plan?"

"Await stage three." Thor said with a cruel smile. "Steven mentioned that Loki's plan has three parts. We are currently in stage two. I would wager that stage three begins at midnight."

Tony pulled out his phone and looked at the time. It was a few minutes to 10. "So, what's stage three?" he asked.

"Loki was not generous enough to provide such information." Steven's wings dropped slightly. "He tricked me into joining his game, and soon after these wings and the halo appeared."

"Yes, it has made us quite the pair." Thor said as he held out an open palm to the dying fire and a ball of fire shot out and relit the wood with a whoosh. "The demon and the angel."

"It is only temporary, Thor," Steven said, sounding like he had said that too many times that night. "It will all be over by sunrise."

"We can't leave here till sunrise?!" Tony sounded slightly desperate. "But...I'll starve to death by then."

Thor rolled his eyes. "You are still dramatic, even as a vampire."

Steven looked at the two in concern. "You haven't… fed in your current forms, have you?"

Bruce shook his head and wrapped his arms around his chest. "Thanks to Tony…"

"No one...I can't believe I'm saying this...No one smelled right." Tony sniffed once and ran his tongue over one of his fangs. "I haven't run across any humans to ask a donation from either."

Steven let out a sigh of relief and sat back, when the local Church bells started ringing to signal the hour.

Tony shot over to Bruce and hid behind him while Thor shot up and roared to the sky. "How many more damned times will that infernal bell ring!?"

The chimes finished, the last note ringing into the nothingness when Bruce turned to Tony. "Arrre you going to be okay?"

"Yeah...Yeah I think so." Tony pulled himself up and sat next to Bruce, but his hands did not leave his head. "Are...Are my ears pointed?!" Tony ran his fingers and felt the slight points on the top of his ears.

"Its okay," Bruce reassured and lightly grasped Tony's hands, bringing them down and letting go. "Its not a bad look," he smiled softly and turned to Thor. "Thor, are you okay?"

"I do not need your concern, mutt!" Thor snapped, but then looked down. "My apologies… I do not truly mean what I say...Nor did I mean my words earlier."

"Its okay…" Bruce said and sighed. "I… I did attack you earlier, so anything you do or say to me, well, I wouldn't blame you…"

"'Tis all my failing." Steven said standing up, the conversation literally ruffling his feathers. "'Twas I that abandoned thee."

"You did not just say 'thee'." Tony groaned. "How hard did Loki's curse hit you?"

"About as much as the others trapped in this game." Steven sighed as he returned to his seat. "We have a few hours until the fated hour. Do you two need to feed?"

"I...I don't want to…" Bruce shook his head weakly.

"It does not matter if you will it." Thor snapped. "I will not trust a starving companion. You will feed."

"I said no," Bruce glared weakly.

Tony stepped between the two again. "What about a pigeon?" He looked between the two. "We'll go hunt down a few pigeons and...we'll eat that. Does that work for everyone?"

"NO!" Bruce yelled. "I've rread about werrewolves. Once one eats a hearrt, its nearr impossible to stop eating like that! I'm not doing it!"

"You are not a real werewolf, Bruce!" Tony shouted with a bit more authority that he probably should have. "You are a movie werewolf. I don't think the normal rules apply anymore."

Bruce felt himself cower slightly at Tony's tone, his tail involuntarily curling between his legs. "I...I just d-don't want to rrrisk it. And I… don't want to eat rrraw me-meat."

"I don't think we have to worry about that with mister fire starter here." Tony pointed to Thor. "Come on. Me and you can wolf it out and catch some squirrels or pigeons or something."

Bruce looked away hesitantly. "Just… please keep me frrom losing myself…" he said softly and stood up shakily.

"What else is a vampire supposed to do for his werewolf." Tony smiled, showing off his fangs.

Bruce nodded his head slightly. "Lead the way then.."

"Okay." Tony glanced over to Thor and Steven. "We'll be back in an hour. Try to stay hidden, okay? We still don't know what's out here." He looked to Bruce and then back to himself. "I really hope this works out like how it did in Dracula." Tony ran ahead and leaped into the air and suddenly he was engulfed by the dark smoke. A solid black wolf with gleaming red eyes quickly emerged from the smoke. The wolf's tail started wagging as he looked himself over. "It worked! I really am Dracula!"

Bruce let out a snort and got down on all fours himself, his legs cracking into more wolf-like hind legs. Bruce winced. "W-well, when in Rrrome." The two took off into the woods.

Chapter 5

Tony and Bruce burst out of the bushes and quickly started to make their rounds through the park searching for anything that would work for a quick meal. Tony found his movements oddly natural in his wolf form. Just as when he was a bat he allowed some instincts to take over and help him maneuver through the darkness and track the thousands of scents that filled his nose.

Bruce had started to look more and more wolf like as they ran, likely due to the exposure to direct moonlight. He quickly made a turn and barked to signal to Tony that he had found something. Tony turned and followed Bruce as he bolted through the grass and into an open field.

That was when they really saw what stage two of Loki's game had done. There were monsters all around them. Hundreds of them ranging from innocent little angels to savage zombies, each one quite nearly ripping the other apart. Most did not seem to notice their changes, or if they did, they did not seem to care that they now had claws and fangs. Some were even using their changes to their advantage, as an unlucky pair of zombies wandered too close to the lake and were dragged under by a greedy scaly hand.

Tony shook his fuzzy head and tried to focus. Find food, get back to the group, kick Loki's ass. Food, group, kick Lok's ass. Food, group, Loki. Food. Group. Loki!

He broke through a hedge and slowed his run down to a trot...Tony could have sworn that Bruce went through here, but he was no where to be seen. Tony looked around and even tried to smell Bruce out, but he was not used to all of the new scents.

"Brrrrughrgh" Tony barked out. Damn it, how did Bruce do it? "Bruff!" Well that was worse… He did not understand what was wrong. He was able to speak fine earlier. But that was when Bruce was around. Tony tried to call out for Bruce again, but all the came out was a long sustained howl. After a moment another howl answered and Tony quickly followed it. It just had to be Bruce.

Just when Tony broke through the bushes he found he had made a terrible mistake. Three or four other werewolves stood around him and started to circle him.

"Well, well, what do we have herrrre?" One wolf growled and sniffed the air. "Smells like a vampire in wolf's clothing."

Tony tried to back up, but realized that he was not able to move anywhere at this point. He considered his options. At this point, the only thing he could do would be to fight, but he knew that he was going down. Loki would always bring him back to life, and fighting would just make the death more painful, so Tony closed his eyes and let out a breath in defeat. The wolves snickered and aimed to pounce when Bruce jumped from behind and leaped into the closest wolf, rolling around on the ground with it.

Sensing a fight one of the other wolves jumped onto Tony's back, caused him to fall to the ground in his human form from surprise. He quickly found himself back into smoke and slipped away from the werewolf's snapping jaws. The wolf turned on him and Tony hissed threateningly at the wolf, who backed away from the threat. Tony glanced over to where Bruce and the other werewolf were fighting and before he knew it he was standing in the middle of their brawl. He reached down and flung the werewolf off of Bruce and he smacked into a near by tree.

"How dare you attack me and mine!" Tony hissed at the wolf, baring his fangs at him. "I should drain you dry."

The wolf started to cower underneath his glare while the one remaining werewolf took off.

Bruce groaned from the ground. "Tony… they ...don't underrstand… human. They'rrre human," he tried to make out from under his newly expanded maw.

"Hush, Bruce. Let me work." Tony said softly, his eyes glowing more fiercely than before. "What is your name, mutt!?"

The werewolf snarled back and did not answer. Tony could see blood matted on the fur around the wolf's mouth. "Have you fed?"

The werewolf gave a growling laugh. "There are no more humans, vampire. My pack has been looking… Though vampire has come rather close to satisfying the craving."

"And what do you mean by that?!" Tony snarled back.

"Tony… let go.."

"He's a monster! We can't just let monsters go!"

"We'rrre monsterrrs!" Bruce interrupted and let out a small whine, his ears falling.

"No we're not! We're hunters!"

"Tony look at us!" Bruce screamed. "We came herrre to feed too!"

"On pigeons and squirrels, not people!" Tony whipped his head back to Bruce. "We're better than them! We still know what we are!"

Bruce's ears fell. "I… almost killed a human until you called…" he looked up with determination. "If you arre killing monsterrs, then kill me too."

"I'm not killing you Bruce, I told you that." Tony glanced down at Bruce. "And stop giving me those sad puppy dog eyes. It's even worse now that you kinda look like a dog…" Tony looked back at the other werewolf and hissed at him as threateningly as he could. The wolf took the hint and bolted away on all fours with his tail between his legs. "Did he hurt you Bruce?"

"N-no," Bruce stood up slowly, trying to get back to two legs. "He would be spitting up acid if he bit me anyway."

Bruce fell back down onto his paws and whined once at his failure. He gave up and sat like a dog and looked at his former hands.

"If you want to go back I'll find something to eat myself. Maybe if you're out of the moonlight for a while you'll get back to human."

Bruce shook his head sadly. "I don't think I'm going to rrreverrt much anyway at this point… I'll come with you."

"If...If you say so." Tony agreed and turned back in the direction they were heading in, Bruce following along slowly. After a few moments Tony stopped and kneeled down in front of Bruce. "Look into my eyes, Bruce."

"Grhat aghf rou gruing?" Bruce barked as Tony held his muzzle.

"I'm going to get you back to normal. It's my duty as your vampire, now be a good boy and look into my eyes." Tony demanded again.

"How?" He asked as he sat down slowly.

"I'll hypnotize you. Maybe if you take your mind off of things you'll relax enough to get back to normal."

"Oh... okay. I trrust you," Bruce said softly and looked into his eyes.

Tony breathed out slowly and focused on Bruce. Suddenly his eyes began to glow brighter and Bruce visibly relaxed, seemingly lost in the glowing red light. But after a moment nothing seemed to change. Bruce blinked once and he suddenly found himself looking up at the trees. He pushed himself off his back and rubbed his face and paused. His muzzle was gone. His mouth was back to normal. Bruce shot up and saw his bare human feet in front of him. He opened and closed his hands and could not help but smile at the dexterity in his fingers. He was almost back to human. Only his nails and teeth were slightly sharper than before and he still bore wolf-like ears and a tail.

Bruce let out a surprised laugh. "I... can't believe it. This is... the most I've reverted back. How'd you do it?"

Bruce looked for Tony but he was nowhere to be seen.

"T-Tony? W-where are you?" He turned his head frantically.

"Oh good you're up." Tony suddenly appeared from behind a tree with a small roasted bird in his hands. "I got your dinner."

"Was... I passed out?" Bruce asked.

"Just for an hour." Tony said handing off the meat. "Hot off the fire pit, fresh caught by yours truly. And don't worry I took out the organs. No hearts."

"Thanks..." He said softly and bit into it. "Sorry that I passed out... I didn't mean to have you do all of this on your own."

"No problem. I couldn't bear to see you like that. You just looked so...defeated. I had to try something. Feeling better after your nose job?"

Bruce touched his nose again and smiled. "Its... nice not having a muzzle. I feel like I've reverted more than I ever had by avoiding moonlight. How did you do it?"

"I put you in a trance and told you to relax and forget about the moon. You did most of it yourself." Bruce turned to eat and noticed Tony's ears were slightly longer. "Though I got kinda excited when you turned back..." Tony tapped his throat and Bruce felt a small bandage on his neck.

"Oh... oh!" Bruce looked back at Tony in concern. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah just burned my tongue." Tony laughed. "Good thing it did, otherwise I could have killed you."

Thor walked over to Bruce and tried to smile kindly like he used to, but it looked forced. "You're awake, good. Here Stark," he handed Tony a live squirrel. "This is your share."

"Thanks..." Tony grabbed the squirrel and quickly bit into its stomach. The animal squeaked and shook for a moment as Tony drank but stopped moving soon enough. After a moment Tony pulled it away and wiped the red blood from lips, looking satisfied. "Thanks Thor."

"Think nothing of it." Thor said taking back the squirrel. "I will bring you the next one when the time comes. I am glad Stark was able to save you in time, my friend."

"Thank you," Bruce muttered softly. "I guess I... changed too much that last time."

"Yeah, way too much." Tony pulled out his phone. "You were a level 5 werewolf going on 6." He passed it to Bruce. "Once you reach 6 you don't go back."

"Even at sunrise tomorrow?" Bruce asked a bit nervously. "Can we even relate this case to regular werewolves?"

"I don't know if it lasts past the game." Tony shrugged. "But I think those werewolves we fought were level 6. At that level you forget about ever being human in the first place."

Bruce looked through the manual. "I think you're on level 2 now." Tony continued. "I'm a level 3 vampire so don't worry about me. At level 4 I get wings in human form and I can control the weather. Thor is barely a level 4 demon and Steven is a level 2 angel." Tony shook his head. "All those people out there are so lost and confused… Steven found a few that remember being human and he's trying to act just as lost as they are, but… Most just want to give up and succumb to the monster just so they can stop being scared."

Bruce shook his head and sighed, closing the manual. "This is horrible. I just wish there was something more we could do... besides what we are doing at least."

"We can't do anything until Loki tells us the next part of his game." Tony looked away. "Which should be any minute now. It's almost midnight." Tony stood up. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's finish this," Bruce stood up.

Tony led Bruce back to the clearing where they left Steven and Thor, who were currently surrounded by fifty or so others. Steven was passing around small scraps of food to a few of them. Tony pointed out that some of the animal type monsters helped Tony hunt for squirrels and pigeons, while the spirit types were working on preparing the food, since they did not seem to need to eat. The vampires were apparently in charge of killing each animal so that they would be able to drink the blood. "Oh no, looks like Steve is in trouble."

Bruce looked over to Steven and saw a girl demon flirting with him.

"Oh this is going to be good," Bruce suppressed a snicker. Tony and Bruce walked over to where the two were.

"Oh, Mr. Angel. Thank you so much for helping us," the girl smiled slyly. "You really are a cute little angel. Tonight just brought out the true you" she said and ran a hand through his wings. "While I might be a little bit of a devil myself."

Steven gave her a nervous smirk. "I would be concerned to be a demon personally." He glanced over to Thor. "It seems to show that you are not pleased with your current standing. You should give yourself more credit, dear."

"Oh, don't worry. I like being bad when it matters," she winked at him.

Steven took a step back. "You should never take pride in evil."

The girl gave Steven a ridiculous look. "You're so dense," she said and then turned and walked away. Bruce and Tony walked up to Steven.

"She didn't mean it like that," Bruce said, hiding a smile.

"She was trying to get you in bed, feather-butt. And you blew it," Tony laughed.

"I do not sleep. Going to a bed would be pointless." Steven gave Tony a confused look as the man laughed harder. "Is sleep not the primary use of a bed?"

"Its nothi-" Bruce started.

Tony interrupted. "She wanted to have sex with you! Dude!" Tony couldn't stop laughing.

"Tony, come on."

"Sorry, not sorry. This is the best thing that's happened all night!"

"I will not allow some foul temptress to defile my brother." Thor said as he rejoined the group. "Especially now that she bears the stench of a demon."

"Ah, loosen up," Tony said and elbowed Thor in the ribs. "She'll be human soon."

"I am not sure that would be better." Thor nearly growled. "He is an angel, not a plaything to be defiled."

"Jeez, what level demon are you at now?" Tony grumbled. "Do the higher they go, the further the stick up their asses go?"

Thor snarled slightly. "I do not appreciate your words, vampire! The more I progress in this form the more irritating you become."

Tony put his hands up. "Dude, its called 'joking'. Chill."

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I...I am sorry. I am succumbing to my form…"

"Its fine," Bruce smiled and reached up to put an arm on his shoulder. "We're all succumbing to it; we get it." Bruce let out a laugh. "A little while ago I was taller than you."

"Well, before you were stuck on all fours." Tony commented.

"Well, excuse me for feeling good about finally being taller than somebody," Bruce laughed again.

"Aw, relax." Tony patted Bruce on the back. "You made a cool wolf. If you wouldn't be stuck that why it would have been a good look for you. Meanwhile I now have bigger ears than you."

"I bet some earrings would make your ears look good," Bruce smirked. "And I'll pass, thanks. I already turn into a giant green rage monster. That's enough for m-." He went pale. "Oh my God. I forgot that I turned into a giant green rage monster. What happens if I…?!"

Tony thought about it for a moment. "Well… I don't know. Maybe Loki blocked him. Have you felt a change?"

"Besides changing into a wolf? No," Bruce sighed.

Steven offered a reassuring smile and put a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Just concentrate on your breathing and you will be fine. We're all here to support each other."

Bruce nodded slowly, trying to give Steven the same smile back. "Yeah… that's true."

"And if worst comes to worst maybe I can put you in another trance." Tony offered. "And if that doesn't work maybe we'll have a giant rage wolf to tear Loki apart."

Bruce shuddered. "I'd rather not think about something like that…"

"I know." Tony sighed. "But you have to admit it would be awesome." Suddenly everyone's phone started to ring. Tony pulled it out and looked at it. "Loki sent us a text. He wants us to go back to the starting area."

"Let's get going," Steven said. "We only have one more stage to go."

"Finally." Tony groaned. "I want to get this over with. This vampire thing is ruining my tan."

The crowd of people started moving back into the woods, and the group moved into the middle with them. It took a good 20 minutes before they all were able to meet in front of the stage once more, but they made it there just a few minutes to midnight.

"I don't see him anywhere," Thor said as he scanned the crowd.

"I doubt his ego would allow him to walk amongst us common folk." Tony laughed and pointed to the stage. "That's where he'll be if anything." Tony noticed his name on the banner in front of the stage. "Maybe I shouldn't be here… These people might blame me for all of this. Since it is my event and all."

"Its okay," Bruce said. "I don't think anybody even recognizes us." He turned to Steven. "Can we find some way to maybe wipe their memories when this is over?"

Steven looked at the crowd. "There are many people here. It is possible but perhaps it would be wise to use the wish Loki provides to do it. But I cannot promise that every soul would forget."

"We'd probably have to make the wish to make all of this go back to normal first," Bruce sighed. "He probably won't let us have that one for free and I doubt he'll let us have a compound wish."

"Yeah, but didn't he say that this will all go back to normal at sunrise?" Tony looked to Steven.

"Aye." Thor agreed. "I believe he did say that."

"Maybe we should wish that his game never happened?" Tony offered. "That way we can get both."

"That could work," Bruce said with a shrug. "Although we'll forget what happened tonight."

"Would that be so bad?"

"Loki would play the game again." Thor commented. "If this were my game and I granted that wish I would merely set it up once more."

Steven let out a sigh. "I guess we'll figure it out when we get there. Stage Three is going to start about now."

"Well let's just hope Lust is a good bodyguard, because he just created a mob of very angry people who can now rip him apart." Tony looked over the crowd.

After a few moments of silence there was a very loud screech above them. A black dragon flew over the crowd and slowly landed onto the stage. Loki quickly dismounted the beast and stood triumphantly. He was dressed in green and gold armor and held a spear in one hand and a horned helmet in the other.

"Good evening my subjects. How have you enjoyed the game your king has provided for you?"

The crowd booed and roared, about to charge the stage when the dragon roared back, flames burning on his lips. The crowd stood back and silenced themselves.

"...Bucky… good Heaven," Steven whispered.

Loki petted the dragon to reward him for a job well done. "Good boy." He turned back to the crowd. "You should be proud of yourselves. You have all passed onto the next and final stage, as well as retained your humanity. So many other of your fellows have fallen to the beasts. Now for the next stage you will need to break into pairs. Put your hand or paw or whatever you have now on your partner. You have 5 seconds."

Tony grabbed onto Bruce's shoulder and Thor took hold of Steven. The moment they did they were surrounded by a soft green glow. A few other pairs were formed but most of the others were scrambling to find someone.

"Times up." Loki snapped his fingers and the dragon raised his head and breathed fire into the crowd. Steven and Thor moved in front of Bruce and Tony to protect them but the fire did not touch them. It did not touch anyone who was covered by the light. Everyone who did not have a partner was incinerated.

"Good Heavens," Steven said softly.

"You're insane!" Bruce yelled, stepping forward. Tony grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Tony looked at the crowd. Only thirty or so people were left. "You said no one was going to die!"

"And no one has. Not really anyway." Loki smiled. "I still need their souls to complete this game. Whether or not they are returned depends on the winner. And you all are doing so well."

"Then give us the rules and let us end this game!" Thor yelled brashly.

Loki laughed. "Oh my you do make a fine demon." Loki moved closer to Lust and petted the dragon. "This is a game of empathy. You hunted monsters for sport and so I made you monsters so you would see how those poor beasts live; that it is still possible to retain humanity in such a state. That was the goal of stage two. To prove that you are better than mere monsters. That you are smart and quick and strong. I can't express my pleasure with you all. And do you know why you were able to retain your humanity? Because you were not alone. Every hero needs his foe. Every werewolf needs a vampire. A demon an angel. A king his dragon. You have something to fight."

"The point?" Bruce crossed his arms, holding himself back.

Loki shook his head. "I can't make anyone happy, can I? Very well. The final game is simple. It is a hunt. You will use your new gifts to find your king. The first team to find me will win my favor as my knights. But only the most loyal of you will earn the wish. The game begins when the church bells ring. Good luck!" he smiled like a shark and suddenly, the stage was empty.

The bells started to chime and the demons started yelling, the vampires hid and covered their ears, and the werewolves groaned from the pitch. When the chimes ended, someone from the crowd started to scream. Bruce looked down and saw a slight muzzle where his nose should be, his hands and feet had also changed to be more paw-like. Bruce shook out of his initial shock and helped Tony up who had gained an inch of length on his ears and his pupils were slit like a cat's eyes. Steven whispered comforts to Thor as he pulled another pair of wings away from the demon and revealing the thin tail he now had. The crowd started to panic and chatter loudly, looking for some explanation.

"I forgot to mention." Loki shouted from the back of the dragon as he flew around the remaining teams. "You will forcibly succumb to your monster bit by bit every hour. You will need to find me before it's too late. For if no one finds their king by sunrise, I win; and I suppose you will just have to stay like this. Good luck everyone!"

"Where should we go?" Bruce asked the other three after letting out a curse.

"I don't know…" Tony rubbed his head. "He must be somewhere in the Park, the barrier is still in effect right?"

The dragon roared again and Bruce saw him flying high into the sky. Lust breathed a torrent of fire into the sky and it suddenly hit the barrier. Within moments the barrier caught fire and began burning away from the top down. The dragon flew through the hole and vanished into the city.

"Oh no…" Steven groaned.

"So he could be anywhere now?!" Thor yelled.

Bruce looked over to Tony. "Tony, what about the Tower? What happens if people try to charge it because this is a Stark Industries event?" Bruce's eyes widened and he looked at the entire group. "What happens if these people start attacking others?! There are going to be more humans involved in this than we could have imagined! This could even be a media hit and the entire world could learn about monsters!"

Tony looked up at the sky. "We have to leave now." He looked down and clenched his fists. He pulled out his phone and started flipping through the manual. "I think I'm a level 4 vampire now." Tony said with pride and a pair of large bat wings burst from his back. "There we go. Now we have two people who can fly. We can cover more ground now."

Bruce looked in concern when the wings broke through Tony's back, but relaxed when he saw that Tony was not in pain. "Should we try the Tower first?"

"I guess." Tony shrugged. "But I doubt Loki would be hiding there. This is technically my event after all. It would be the first place to look. In any case I could see if Jarv can track down a dragon. That could give us a clue."

"Do you not always have your ethereal companion with you at all times?" Steven asked.

"He's a program, not a ghost." Tony scoffed. "I think Loki stole my phone after I changed. I can't find it anywhere. Didn't want me to cheat too much I guess."

"Well, Steven and Thor can just teleport anyway, right?" Bruce said. "Let's get going."

Steven nodded and put an arm on Bruce and Tony and stood there for a moment.

"...Are we having technical difficulties?" Tony asked.

"What is this mockery?!" Thor asked angrily.

"We cannot teleport. It must be a trick by Loki to prevent us from succeeding," Steven muttered.

"Its fine, its fine," Bruce sighed and pulled away. "Tony and Steven, you two should head over there since you two can fly. We can meet you there."

"Have you seen my wingspan?" Tony stretched his wings as far as they could go. "I could probably carry you, Bruce. Afraid of heights?"

"And I could probably carry you, Thor," Steven said. "You should be a high enough level to not burn from my touch."

Thor groaned and rolled his eyes. "If I must."

"Tony, its okay," Bruce said. "You don't have to carry me. Its probably a bad idea any-." Bruce couldn't finish his sentence this Tony had already grabbed him and flew up into the sky.

"See it's not so bad, Bruce." Tony laughed as they rose higher and higher. "Now try not to struggle, or I might drop you. Just...pretend you're sticking your head out of a car window on the highway. Dogs love that right?"

Bruce couldn't help but let out a laugh as they flew up higher, the wind blowing through his hair. "I'm not a dog, you ass!" he yelled over the rustling wind as Steven and Thor caught up with them.

"Close enough." Tony laughed back. "You actually might be more of a coyote than a wolf now that I look at you. Hm….weird. Either way, I won't mock you if you do stick out that floppy tongue of yours. Well not too much."

"That's enough, Stark," Steven called over. "How far away is the Tower? Can you make it there?"

"I might not have ever flown before but give me some credit." Tony shook his head. "It literally has my name up in lights on the building. You can't miss it."

When they all got past a few skyscrapers, they were finally able to see the Tower.

"Its like a monument to Pride," Thor scoffed. Steven elbowed him lightly and gave him a stern look.

"No that's what all the papers said about it too." Tony offered a chuckle. "But it makes it easy to spot doesn't it?" Once they got close enough to the balcony Tony let Bruce go and he shakily landed on his changed feet. Tony took a lap or two around the building by himself before landing softly next to the rest of the group. "You know I think I'm a natural." Tony smiled as his wings vanished into mist.

"Just don't get used to it," Bruce smiled back. "Now let's get inside and get Jarvis on your phone."

"Alright." Tony rolled his eyes. "But I should probably start work on a flying suit or something…. It's really awesome." Tony pushed open the balcony doors and offered the AI a big smile. "JARVIS, Daddy's home!"

"Unauthorized entities detected." JARVIS replied immediately. "Defenses online. Please leave the premises before your inevitable annihilation in five, four, three-"

Steven grabbed Thor and flew off of the balcony.

"Tony, let's go!" Bruce yelled.

"Jarv, cool your jets. It's me, Tony." Tony shouted as Bruce dragged him out of the house and onto the balcony. "I made you, remember!"

"Tony, you aren't you right now." Bruce muttered. "JARVIS...Thinks you're a monster."

Tony looked back into his living room as the defenses went offline and vanished back into the walls. He turned with a heavy sigh and grabbed Bruce. "Let's see if we can find the others."

Chapter 6

Tony flapped his wings and they flew off the balcony. "I think I see them on top of that building nearby," Bruce pointed. "I can't tell though; my eyesight isn't as good as when I was Level 5. I think I'm barely a Level 3."

"I can see them." Tony said and Bruce noticed his eyes were glowing brighter. "They're there." Tony pumped his wings once and they shot forward and soon landed on the building next to Steven and Thor. This time the landing was a bit better.

"All of our plans seem to be failing," Steven sighed as Bruce and Tony approached. "We just have to look for him the hard way." Steven looked up at the sky and the position of the moon in the sky. "We only have several hours to find him before sunrise."

"...And he could be anywhere on Earth, or even Hell if he really wanted to cheat, the sly monster," Thor grumbled.

"Knowing Loki he's in the city still." Tony crossed his arms. "He's a dick but he plays by his rules. He would just love to come out from his hiding place at sunrise and rub it in everyone's face that he was so very close the whole time."

"Then we should think like him," Steven said determinedly. "Think now, where would he most be comfortable hiding in this area?" he asked. "And where would he be able to keep Buck- a… a large dragon," Steven caught himself before he lost his resolve.

Tony looked around. "We don't know if Lust can change his size at will. So we shouldn't only look in areas that could house a dragon. I could see Loki showing off his big form just to throw people off." Tony shrugged. "Loki's classy. He could be somewhere upscale. There are plenty of high end hotels around here."

"Then we should split up," Thor said solemnly. "We can cover more ground. We can communicate with each other through these… 'phones', right?" Thor pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"Yep." Tony pulled out his phone and programmed in the numbers. "Just look for Tony or Bruce in your phone and tap the name. Either would work. If the phone vibrates or makes noise just push the green button and put it to your ear like this." Tony held up the phone to his ear. Thor and Steven nodded in understanding. "Okay, we'll take the east and you two go west?"

"I wish we could cover all four directions," Steven started. "But we cannot separate from our groups. We'll take the west. We will call when we have search the quadrant. If neither finds him, then we will meet here and go north and south then. If either group finds him, do not follow through with combat. We should all join together to meet him in battle. Understood?"

"Sounds good. See you in a few hours." Tony grabbed Bruce again and lifted them into the air. "So...Where should we start? Smell anything interesting with your big nose?"

Bruce blinked out of his reverie and looked around. "No… I can't really distinguish smells at this point," he sighed. "Everything is just really sharp right now. Maybe the best place you can think of in this quadrant?"

"I don't know…" Tony sighed as they banked left to avoid a building. "Loki always showed up in the Tower. I never saw him anywhere else….Wanna check out the fancy hotels? Have a few drinks?"

"I'm trying not to get you to throw up," Bruce laughed as genuinely as he could. "Its bad enough that I feel kind of nauseous myself. It must be from the flying…"

"Hey, Stark Airlines doesn't have airsick bags!" Tony laughed. "Hold on, I'll land and we'll look on foot." Tony banked up and opened his wings wide so they would gently float down back to the ground. They landed in a dirty alleyway. Once they were on the ground Bruce stumbled over to a wall and held his stomach. "You doing okay Spot? Need to eat some grass?"

"It… wasn't from the flying," he groaned and fell to his knees, his snout and limbs elongating with snaps. Bruce crawled over to the other side of the alley where the roof covered part of the road, and the snapping started to slow down into pops and then to silence that left him shaking. "M-moonlight… isn't good…"

"Dammit!" Tony kicked a trashcan. "I forgot Bruce… Wait!" Tony looked up at the sky for a moment. His eyes burned red and soon clouds began to form and move in front of the full moon. Within moments it was covered enough for Bruce to come back out of his shelter. The changes were minor, but they were still evident. Tony looked down slightly upset. "Sorry again. I had you completely exposed."

"Its… not yo-yourrr fault," Bruce shivered. "Don't use so m-much enerrrgy on me." He offered a smile. "I'll be f-fine. Focus on yourrrself."

Tony sighed. "You're growling your r's again… Do you think you can revert back? I can put you in a trance again."

Bruce shook his head. "Don't waste yourrr enerrrgy on me. I'm barrrely Level fourr." He stood up slowly and shook a little and leaned on the wall for support, but was able to keep himself up. "Besides," he offered a smile filled with large, sharp teeth. "I can smell different things now. I might be able to pinpoint him."

"But what happens in a few minutes when the hour changes and you go up a level?" Tony walked around in panic. "Then you will be level 5 and then what? You just went up two levels in less than an hour! ...You'll lose yourself at this rate."

Bruce bit his lip, his eyes widening for just a moment before he looked up at Tony calmly. "It is what it is, Tony. Just… prrromise me that… that if I don't make it… that you'll keep going. I'd… rrratherrr be like this forreverrr than watch you and everrryone else be monsterrrs forrreverrr." He let out a hollow laugh and looked away. "Besides, I'm used to being a monsterrr anyway. Its… no big deal."

"It is a big deal!" Tony snapped back. "I will not leave you like this! I promised I would help you and I meant it! I will bring you back to humanity." Tony grabbed Bruce by his shoulders. "Once you hit level 5 I'm putting you back in a trance and getting you back to 2."

Bruce slipped away from his grip. "And what about you?! You'rrre going to hit level 5 soon too! Why waste yourrr enerrrgy and help me when it will just make you need to hunt and rrraise yourrr level even fasterrr?!" Bruce shook his head. "That isn't going to happen! You can stop Loki betterrr than any of us can. You need to focus on that and move on! Now come on, we'rrre wasting time!"

"Fine." Tony walked ahead of Bruce. "But just for the record, I can live with being a vampire. I can at least have a relatively normal life. You couldn't even go to the grocery store with that big stupid nose of yours." Tony turned around and scratched Bruce behind his ear. "Who's got a big stupid nose? You do! You do!"

Bruce swatted his hand away. "Quit it!" he snapped and walked ahead of him.

"Awe come on." Tony laughed. "All dogs love a good scratch behind the ears. You want a squeaky toy to ch..ew...on." Tony stood still at the mouth of the alleyway and sniffed the air.

"Tony I said, 'Let's g-'" Bruce turned around and paused. "Tony? What are you doing?"

"Blood." Tony said with a happy laugh. "Real human blood! Oh Bruce, it smells so good!"

Bruce looked at Tony hesitantly and switched his stance. "Yes, Tony… therrre arrre a lot of humans arrround; I can smell them too." He walked up to him slowly. "Come on, let's starrrt looking forrr Loki."

"What?" He snapped out of his trance. "Right Loki. Let's go kick his ass. Then we'll get you a big red squeaky ball and we'll play fetch."

"Orrr we can wish that everrrything goes back to norrrmal and I'll adopt a dog forrr you to play with," Bruce said as Tony walked up next to him and they walked side-by-side.

"But you're already house broken." Tony whined. "Think of all the dog shows we could win."

Bruce just let out a sigh, deciding not to answer Tony anymore in hopes that he would stop.

He knew that would never happen anyway, but why bother?

"-And I promise I won't get you fixed, Bruce." Tony laughed as he looked back at Bruce who just gave him look that just said he was done with everything. They made it to the end of the block. "Which way Scoob?"

"If I'm Scooby-Doo, does that make you the stonerrr?" Bruce asked.

"Well I do know a guy if you know what I mean," Tony commented as Bruce sniffed the air. Bruce grimaced and looked down at Tony, who was now shorter than him with Bruce's changed legs. "It smells like a demon is in that building down the strrreet," Bruce pointed down a main street. "I don't think therrre's an alleyway we can use to get therrre though," he muttered as he looked down at himself.

"Well, it's Halloween. We'll just walk there." Tony smirked a walked ahead. "Come on Brucey-boy, heel."

"I-isn't my...what did you call it… my costume game...strrrong? Like, too strrong?"

"The average person is super drunk by now. You'll get away with it. If not, you can flash them some teeth and they'll run."

"...And hope none of them are hunterrrs…" Bruce muttered as he followed Tony.

"General hunter rule: Never hunt on Halloween. It's too likely to hurt a random person just messing around. Most hunts can wait a day when it's safe. Besides, most of the problems start on Halloween night, not during."

Bruce and Tony walked down the main road, Bruce trying to shrink in himself to look as much like a person in costume as possible. True to Tony's word, most people who were on the street that late were drinking together and laughing and talking loudly, swaying down the street in their own costumes. Some called out about Bruce's costume, making Bruce smile shyly and wave them off. Bruce almost sighed in relief when they reached the building his nose led him to.

"Okay, this is wherrre we can't get away with ourrr looks," Bruce said, turning back to Tony. "I doubt that a high-end hotel would have people looking like us wanderrring arrround. Even if they did have a costume parrrty at a place like this, no one is going to be drrressed like us."

"Well, dressed like you." Tony mumbled. "Money talks Bruce. Just follow me and if anyone asks, growl at them and they'll back off. Trust me, I've wandered into better hotels looking much weirder than you." Tony waltzed through the revolving doors and marched into the lobby like he owned the place. And from the look in his eye he likely would own it soon if the staff made a fuss about Bruce wandering in behind him.

Bruce sniffed the air. "In that conferrrence rrrroom overrrr therrre," he pointed out.

"Lead the way." Tony motioned and Bruce stocked forward over to the room.

Bruce pushed the door open and they both carefully walked in, on guard. In the middle of the room was a devil's trap with a frightened looking demon standing in the center. He was just standing there, unmoving as they approached. Suddenly Tony grabbed Bruce and pushed him to the floor. An arrow flew past them and lodged itself in the wall.

"Nice," Tony heard a familiar voice say. "But you won't be so lucky a second time."

"Hunters don't hunt on Halloween, you said!" Bruce glared at Tony and pushed them backwards as another arrow lodged into the wall by them.

"That was a warning," the voice snapped. "Trust me, I don't miss when I want to."

"Put the bow down, Van Helsing." Tony stood up slowly and faced the hunter with his hands in the air. "I can expl-Clint?"

Clint lowered his aim slightly. "...Tony? Bruce is that you?"

"Yeah it's us, Clint." Tony laughed. "Good thing it's you. What are you doing in New York?"

"I came to party with the best." Clint removed the arrow and walked up to the pair. "But then I found monsters everywhere! You guy's hunting them too?" Clint looked both of them up and down. "How much money did you spend on these costumes?"

"We… can explain," Bruce started. "We'rrre n-" Bruce cut himself off with his growl from saying a word with an "r" in it.

"We've been cursed." Tony shrugged and patted Bruce on the back. "Bruce here is a werewolf, I'm a vampire. Thor's a demon and he is not much fun. And all those monsters running around are also cursed humans." Tony looked over at the demon in the trap. "Except him, he's real. The curse is going for more of a classic movie monster look than accuracy."

"Dude, harsh," Clint said and folded his bow away. "So, what's the deal with the curse? I mean, if it isn't normal bites that did that, there's a cure, right?"

"The cure is finding Loki before sunrise." Tony absently ran his tongue over one of his fangs. "Otherwise we're stuck like this forever."

"Of course it's Loki. When is it not Loki?" Clint wandered closer to Tony and pulled at his ears. "Man you're ears are so damn long. You're like a rabbit."

"How do you like it?" Bruce smirked as Tony shoved Clint's hands away.

Tony hissed softly at Clint. "I'm a fearsome vampire, not a rabbit!" Tony sniffed once and took a step closer to Clint. "You know, blood ….and ...stuff."

Bruce pulled Tony back at the same time Clint stepped back, involuntarily reaching for a silver blade. "Watch it, Stark," Clint said. "My neck is too pretty to get a nice scar on."

He shook his head. "Sorry...Sorry. Cravings you know. I haven't been around human blood much yet."

"It might be better if we leave you alone," Bruce sighed. "If you get a cut we could both be on you, especially with the next hour coming soon…"

"Hey, I don't know what's going on," Clint said defensively. "But I'm all for having the chance to beat the crap out of Loki."

"Sounds good to me." Tony patted Clint on the shoulder. "Welcome to the team."

"Great to be hunting." He laughed and walked up to Bruce, scratching his fuzzy head. "Don't worry I'll help you two get back to normal."

Bruce frowned. "Why does everybody do that? I'm not a cute yorkie."

"I don't know. You're kinda adorable." Clint peted Bruce again. "I see that tail of your's wagging, don't try to hide it."

Bruce glanced down and dipped his tail between his legs. "You wouldn't do that to a regular werewolf," Bruce muttered and averted his gaze. "And you're not going to think like this soon…"

"It's because I know you're not going to bite my arm off that I get to mess with you." Clint smiled. "Wait...What is going to happen soo-"

Clint didn't get the chance to finish as both Tony and Bruce crumpled to the floor. Even inside Tony could hear the church bells signalling the changing hour.

They both let out blood-curdling screams as they transitioned to their next levels. Bruce curled in on himself when his bones started to snap; as his shoulders spread further apart, his torso and limbs elongating further with it. Hair-like fur grew longer and thicker, making it harder to distinguish his face even without his muzzle growing larger. His legs snapped at the knees, and they became complete hind-legs.

Clint bent down to Bruce and shook his expanding shoulder. "Bruce? What's going on? Bruce!"

"It's… The next part of the curse." Tony groaned from the other side of the room. Tony's mouth was full of fangs and slightly extended forward. His eyes were blazing red and just the florescent lights in the room were too bright for him. Large black, leathery wings were extended out of his slightly hunched back. Tony looked at his hands and his new claws. "We … we get worse the longer Loki stays missing."

"How much worse can you get?!" Clint yelled as the sound of snapping bones and groans were heard from the both of them.

"We'll go native next unless we revert some before the next hour." Tony groaned as his legs snapped beneath him and he fell to the ground. "Aw...vampires are supposed to be sexy…Don't look hot at all."

"Well, just be lucky you aren't sparkling," Clint laughed nervously.

"I...Argh." Tony tried to pull himself back up but failed. His jaw cracked slightly as it moved forward more. "Guess so. How's Bruce?"

Clint looked over at Bruce, who was curled up and shivering on the floor on his side, his torso moving up and down as he tried to breathe in deeply. He noticed how much larger he was now, claws and all, and couldn't help but shudder inwardly.

"I… think he's done," Clint said softly. "Worry about yourself."

Tony tried to speak but screamed instead and hid himself in his larger wings. He was just a large lump of leathery wings shaking on the floor. After a moment Tony stopped making noise but he did not move his wings.

"Hey, so… are you okay?" Clint asked as he walked over to Tony slowly.

There was a small screech, then a few more. The mass heaved a few times and soon the wings lifted showing the creature Tony had become. His head looked like that of a fox bat complete with a long muzzle and ears that were constantly twitching and moving around. Tony's hands were strong claws covered in dark fur and his legs were also misshapen and changed to be better suited for grabbing things than walking. Tony opened his mouth and a small chittering sound came out. His ears dropped significantly and he hid himself with his wings.

"HOLY-" Clint jumped back, but then saw Tony hiding himself. "Hey, uh, its not so bad. I'll come with you two and we can go kick Loki's ass. Come on… it'll be a blast."

Tony shook his fuzzy head and he just laid on the ground. He squeaked sadly and motioned to Bruce.

"Yeah, come on," Clint said and walked closer to Tony. "We can bring Bruce too, okay? I think he just needs a minute; you know, take a breather," he laughed nervously.

Tony nodded and took a deep breath and looked to Bruce. They sat in silence for a few moments before Bruce started to wake up. Tony crawled on all fours over to Bruce, which was easier to do on his changed legs and squeaked at him.

Bruce rolled over to his back with a groan and looked at Tony. He blinked a few times and let out a whine, reaching out a shaky, clawed paw and putting it gently on his face. Tony squeaked mournfully and Bruce gave him a slight, toothy smile in assurance.

Tony chittered softly and his eyes glowed. Bruce became lost in the light and soon he entered a trance. As Bruce began to relax some of his changes eased.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Clint asked Tony. "You need to relax for a second."

Tony just pushed Clint gently with one of his wings and continued to keep Bruce under. Once most of the new changes were gone Tony's eyes dulled and and he smiled at his work. He squeaked softly when Bruce woke up.

Bruce blinked wearily with a groan and looked up from his place on the floor. "T-Tony… what happened?" He looked at his hand still on Tony's face and pulled it back quickly, feeling his less hairy face and reduced snout. He was at the beginning stages of Level 3. "Tony, why did you do that?!" he yelled. "I told you not to do that!" Tony looked away with a sad squeak.

"Hey man!" Clint said and walked up and kneeled to the ground. "He just kept you from being as much of a wolfman as you were!"

Bruce shook his head and sat up shakily. "No! He's wasting his energy on me. Its just going to make him need to hunt more… and get closer to level 6." He looked at Clint sadly. "He won't be able to turn back if he gets to that point."

Tony sniffed at the air and wandered over to Bruce who was closest to him. He grabbed one of Bruce's arms and bit it just enough to draw some blood. He drank slowly, despite the burning feeling it made in his mouth.

Bruce let out a groan at the pleasurable sensation, but then realized what was happening and refocused. "Tony, stop it!" he exclaimed and pulled his arm back, Tony still somewhat attached. "My blood is acidic! You're going to kill yourself!"

Tony took two more long drinks before pulling back. He breathed heavily and looked to Bruce. "I...It...Helps…."

"We'll find something else, okay?" Bruce said. "Don't do that again! Its going to kill you before it helps you."

"No!" Tony growled slightly as he grabbed Bruce's arm again. "Your blood! It helps!" Tony bit into it once more and took two more drinks. As he took Bruce's blood his muzzle started doing down and his legs started to reform.

"Tony, stop it!" Bruce yelled again, but couldn't find it in him to pull backwards, his facial expressions falling into a peaceful reverie. Clint quickly grabbed his silver blade and sliced at Tony's arm, not enough to deeply cut into him, but a slight scratch to get his attention.

Tony let go of Bruce and hissed at Clint. "Just a bit more! I'm almost back! It can't kill me! I'm immortal."

"And Bruce?!" Clint pointed at Bruce, who was still in his hypnotized state. "He's going to see that he hurt you and he's going to kick himself forever! The guy's self-deprecating as it is, man. Come on!"

"I'm not hurt!" Tony half squeaked through his shrinking mouth. He looked back to Bruce. "But fine...I'll stop...This should be enough for now. Bruce, wake up."

Bruce groaned out of his state and blinked up at Clint, and then back at Tony. "I said to stop!" he roared at Tony. "You're going to kill yourself!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? I can't die!" Tony shouted back, finally getting control over his voice. "Even if I didn't have Loki's deal, I'm a vampire! Relax Bruce...You can't hurt me."

"We'll… we'll find something else… we just need to keep going…" Bruce muttered. "I-I promise that I'll help you however I can… just, don't hurt yourself because of me…"

Clint gave Tony a pointed look. "Told you. We should've made a bet on it, Stark. I could've been a billionaire."

"Bruce you idiot, don't you get it?" Tony held up Bruce's arm. "Your blood is the only thing that will turn me back. Just like my hypnosis is the only thing for you."

"But… but before… it burned you!"

"Before?!" Clint asked incredulously.

"That's the point." Tony said, ignoring Clint. "Your blood is like liquid sunlight. It weakens me enough to go back. It's just like how you get better out of the moonlight."

Bruce frowned and looked down at his arm and then shoved it into his face. "Then drink it. Drink me dry. Whatever helps you."

"Whoa, hey," Clint tried to interrupt. "Let's not jump to conclusions…"

Tony shoved Bruce's arm away. "Easy there. The night is young and we still need to find Loki. This will just have to be our routine every hour okay? I hypnotize you. You give me your blood. Sound good?"

"This was the only place in this part of the city that had a demon that wasn't newly possessed," Bruce affirmed. "I smelt it before and he was it." Bruce turned his head towards the demon still in the circle, looking confused. "That's him. And he's still alive. Its only been an hour and we still have a while before we have to meet with Thor and Steven. It'll be fine."

"Bruce I've had enough." Tony wiped his mouth. "Besides, I'm mostly human now and I took a lot. You need to rest and get more blood back." Tony pulled out his wallet and threw it to Clint. "Can you go to the lobby and get some room service for Bruce? A big steak should help. Make sure it's rare."

Clint looked at the wallet then back to Bruce. "Sure thing. Be right back."

"Some food should help you get your head on straight so you don't try to kill yourself again." Tony laughed and bumped Bruce with one of his wings. "I'm not going to drain you dry."

Bruce started to reply when the demon across the room cleared his throat.

"You both do realize that this conference room is not completely sound proof, correct?" the demon frowned. "Somebody will be interested in what has happened and come in here and see you two as monsters trying to detain me."

Bruce licked the top row of his teeth. "I can just eat him; it'll save you a few bucks."

"That's gross, Bruce." Tony laughed. "You'll regret it after you get fully human again. What is a random demon doing here anyway?"

"Loki put me here." The demon grumbled. "Wanted to use me to throw the players off his trail. Your friend found me and then you burst in."

"That answers your question. Let's answer mine: how do you want to get rid of him?" Bruce asked Tony.

"We'll exorcise him Bruce." Tony stood up and pulled Bruce up too. "Just read the exorcism...I can't stand to hear it."

"Then what are you going to do, put your fingers in your ears and whistle?" Bruce crossed his arms. "Its not like hearing it isn't going to do basically the same thing to you."

"I'm going to go outside and call Thor. Let him know that we found Clint." Tony turned back to Bruce. "Don't eat him!" Tony lightly hit Bruce on his nose once and started to walk out of the room.

Bruce watched Tony walk out and close the door behind him, waiting a few moments to listen for any kind of confrontation or paranoia from his looks. He didn't hear anything, much to his relief and looked back at the demon.

"He forgot that I don't have my hunting tools with me," Bruce said slowly to the demon, still glancing at the door.

"Now what are you going to do, Lassy?" The demon laughed as Bruce took a wobbly step closer. "Eat me? Can your widdle conscience handle that?"

Bruce let out a hollow laugh and stepped closer. "You know what? Tonight has been pretty awful. I've had to watch my friends turn into monsters. Do you know what's worse? I think that its brought out their true thoughts of me. I've been… coddled all night. One of them thought that I was dead not even an hour into this game. Basically, everyone thinks that I'm weak and unable to handle anything for myself."

"So you're going to prove them wrong by eating me?" The demon rolled his eyes. "You know that I'll just leave this body once it's too late to save this vessel right?"

"Oh, don't worry about exerrrting yourrrself like that. I'll eat yourr face firrrst."

Chapter 7

"Yeah, Clint's fine. Don't worry Thor." Tony paced around while talking on his phone. "Actually, do worry some. It's good to hear you worry again. Are you and Steven okay after the hour change? You figure out how to go down a level or two?" Tony paused and looked around. He smelled blood. "Look just meet us here...and come as fast as you can." Tony hung up and ran back into the conference room. Bruce was in the middle of the room hunched over a bloody pile. "Bruce! What did you do?!"

Clint ran into the room, silver blade in hand and his bow and quiver of silver arrows on his back. "There you are!" he yelled to Tony. "He nearly ripped me apart! I went to find you so you can stop him. The only way I can is by killing him!"

Bruce flicked his head up and snarled warningly at the two, showing off his regression into the next level. He didn't lose eye contact as he tilted his head back down until he started ripping open the vessel's chest.

"Bruce!" Tony launched himself to the werewolf and flew the two of them into the wall, pinning Bruce there. "What the Hell!? I just get rid of all that."

Bruce roared at Tony, some of what he was eating sprinkling onto his face and chest. He raised a claw and slashed at Tony, who dodged out of the way, but had to let go in the process. Bruce ran back to the corpse and continued ripping through the chest.

"Bruce I said no!" Tony ran back and lifted Bruce into the air and held him there. "You are totally getting fixed now! You hear that? You'll have to wear a cone and everything." Tony tossed Bruce up and kicked him to the other side of the room. "Now get back to your senses!" Tony's eyes glowed. "You will stop eating people!"

Bruce twitched under the gaze, groaning as he tried to fight the trance, but Tony's eyes were too bright and distracting and his instincts wouldn't let him stop looking. He suddenly stopped struggling and fell to the ground onto his stomach, his eyes glazed over and focused on the trance.

Clint took a hesitant step forward. "Did you… stop him?"

"Yeah...yeah I think so." Tony floated back to the ground and looked at the ripped-open corpse. "Dammit Bruce… I trusted you…" He grabbed Bruce by the scruff of his neck and slapped him on the nose, knocking him out of the trance. "Bad Bruce! Bad! You can't eat people!"

Bruce didn't look up at Tony, he didn't even respond. It was like he was still stuck in a reverie.

"Tony," Clint whispered seriously. "He ate demon blood and guts…"

"But...No, Bruce wake up! Come on, be normal, please!" Tony shook Bruce's head around. "Don't go demon crazy…"

"...And after this, he's going through one Hell of a withdrawal," Clint finished.

Tony threw Bruce back down on to the ground, not bothering to be gentle. "Thor will be here soon with an angel...maybe he can purify Bruce or something…"

"Throw me to the floor like that one more time, Stark, and so help me," Bruce muttered from the floor as he sat up and wiped blood from his muzzle with a clawed hand.

"What you'll eat me too?" Tony hissed back with a threatening glow in his eye. "You're lucky I don't just have Clint kill you right now. What the Hell were you thinking?"

"And you're lucky that you smell filthy, you disgusting bat," Bruce responded indifferently to his threat. He sent a glare to Clint in challenge and looked back to Tony. "Well, sweetheart, let's think outside the box. Why do people eat?"

"Don't give me that vegan crap Bruce!" Tony snapped. "I don't care if it tastes like chicken. Humans are off the menu! That includes when they are possessed. Do you understand!?"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, like you're one to talk," he got up and walked up to Tony's face. "I've been keeping you from slurping at humans like their juice boxes all night. Hell," he laughed. "You didn't even leave me anything to perform an exorcism." He put a clawed hand under Tony's chin and turned it towards him. "Face it, you wanted that human dead, not freed. Your prior actions only point to this conclusion."

Tony punched Bruce in the face so hard that he fell to the ground. "How dare you?! I trusted you to help keep me in control. I never asked because I knew you would have offered your own throat before anyone elses." Tony kicked Bruce in the stomach. "I know you know the exorcism by heart. I've heard you muttering it to yourself before missions… You wanted an excuse to ease you own guilt...And now someone's dead. Are you happy now? You just killed someone. Not Hulk. Not Loki. You!"

Bruce coughed and spat out blood. He watched the carpet start to sizzle and erode and he started laughing maniacally. Tony lunged at him again, but Clint put his arms under his armpits and hoisted him backwards.

"Stop it! He's out of his mind right now. He doesn't get it," Clint tried to reassure.

"I...I can put him in a trance." Tony struggled. "I can make him go back to normal. I can make him think this never happened."

"He's going to figure it out anyway," Clint argued and pulled him back. "And when he does, its going to be worse when he finds out on his own without anyone there for him. He's still human."

"I can at least try to get this demon out of him." Tony kicked at the air and Clint held him. "This isn't him."

"Hey, Stark," Bruce said from the floor. The two paused and looked down at him. Bruce gave him a smirk. "I told you I was a monster. That was the best meal I've had in years."

"Come on, even better than that pigeon I caught just for you?" Tony tried to joke but he sunk in Clint's arms.

Bruce pulled himself up, wiping the dried blood away from his already-healed muzzle. "Aw, don't be so down," he put a hand on his shoulder. "I did warn you a million times about me. But you didn't listen~," he sing-sang the last part as he booped his nose with a filthy finger and laughed.

"You were afraid of Hulk, not yourself…." Tony paused and then looked up to Bruce's eyes desperately. "Hulk! Hulk can you hear me? I'm in danger, help!"

Bruce tsked and with a look, threw Clint into a wall. "If you leave that wall, I'll gut you," he warned as he turned back to Tony. He grabbed Tony's arms and twisted them behind his back in a rock-hard grip. "Don't you. Ever. Try to speak to him again," he spat. "He may be known as strength to you, but I will be known as will!" he shoved Tony to the ground. "I'm stronger than you give me credit for," he put a foot on his back. "I'm stronger than any of you give me credit for!" he started laughing maniacally again. "Oh, I feel so alive right now!"

Tony coughed. "Well I'm glad you're having fun." Tony glanced up. "Cause that's about to stop in two seconds."

Bruce looked up and was met with a hammer slamming into his face. He went flying off of Tony and crumpled to a heap on the floor.

"What is the meaning of this, monster?" Thor snapped as he called the hammer back to his hand. "What have you done?"

Bruce slowly rose up with a slight groan, holding one of his hands to his face. He watched the blood drip and burn the floor below him and he looked up at them with a smile, his face fixing itself quickly.

"Hello, Thor," Bruce greeted as he stood up. "Isn't being like this wonderful? I'm so full of energy!"

"I have never known a greater Hell," Thor answered. "There are sweeter pleasures than what this merger power provides." Thor looked down at Tony and offered a sly wink. "Why would you settle when you can have more?"

Bruce shook his head and sighed. "I could only gather what I could get at the time. Poor widdle me, sucked dry by the scary bat," he taunted and then looked seriously at Thor. "Don't worry, that Bruce is gone now. You don't have to worry your formerly-haloed head about him losing to the monsters anymore."

"I was never worried. I knew it was an inevitable fall. Now if you want even more power... I could show you how to attain it." Thor tapped his jugular. "I'm an archdemon by now. Imagine what you could do with that much power?"

Bruce growled at the comment of his failure, but couldn't help but pace at the thought of feeding further. "Oh, but Thor. I was going to let you live. Are you sure you still want to be so... kind to me?"

Thor laughed. "Heaven and Hell will fall to dust before a scrawny pup like you slays me. Consider this a deal. I give you power, and you and I win this game and wish to remain in power."

Bruce laughed. "I'd watch your words. It is the end of days, after all." He stopped pacing and smiled. "You aren't in any position to make deals. The next hour is upon us."

"I will only grow in power, while by the looks of you, you will fall to your beast soon. And then you'll just be urinating on every tree you see like a common mutt."

Bruce scowled. "You're wasting my time! I'll feed on you and make my wish when I find that disgusting, low-life demon myself!" he practically roared and charged at Thor.

As Bruce charged, Thor stood in ground. But at the last second Thor vanished and Tony stood in Bruce's path with blazing eyes. "Bruce...Stop this now!"

Bruce forcibly stopped in his tracks, struggling against the gaze before finally giving in. He fell onto his bottom, eyes glazed over from the trance.

"Thanks for the distraction Thor." Tony panted slightly. "Steven? Can you purge Bruce? The demon blood has done something to him."

Steven and Clint walked back to where Thor re-appeared next to Tony. Steven knelt down to examine Bruce. "What happened?" he asked curiously. "I would have never thought the Doctor capable of such an act."

"He munched on the poor shmuck here." Clint motioned to the bloody pulp on the floor. "He's full of demon blood and guts."

"The wolf got the better of him." Tony scratched his head. "I never should have left him alone. He trusted me."

"Bruce, wake up," Steven said softly, holding Bruce's face.

"This is not your fault, Sir Stark," Thor said with a sigh. "He should have known better than not be left alone if he felt himself fall to such a state."

"Thor, he-" Bruce groaned and interrupted Steven and they all looked at him as Bruce blinked groggily at his surroundings. "W-what happened?" he looked at the group. "Thor, Steven, good, Tony got a hold of you. I'm glad," he smiled tiredly.

Clint readied an arrow and aimed it at Bruce's head. "Cut the act fuzz-ball. Why did you do it? That was an innocent man! Hunters don't kill humans!"

Bruce swiftly turned his head in Clint's direction and jumped backwards, falling on his bottom again. "W-What are you doing?! What are you talking about?!"

"Clint this isn't the time." Tony muttered quickly.

"Then how do we know this isn't an act?" Clint snapped back. "You ate someone Bruce. The blood is still matted to your fur."

Bruce looked at him with wide eyes and put a shaky hand to his mouth, wiping the mess and bringing it up to his eyes. He went pale and began to shake and hyperventilate.

Tony moved to comfort Bruce but Thor held him back and shook his head. "He needs to suffer through this alone."

"Thor, he didn't know bett-" Steven started.

"Blondie's right." Clint interrupted with a smirk. "He needs to be punished. The first kill is always the worst."

Bruce pulled his legs up to his chest, curling himself into a ball and let out a scream. He screamed until his voice died in his throat and he was left panting and sobbing.

Clint let his aim down at the outburst. "Yeah...he's coming back down now. I'll work on cleaning up this mess. Help a guy out Blondie?" Clint patted Thor on the shoulder and they walked over to what remained of the demon.

Tony knelt down to Bruce's level. "Bruce...Man, what were you thinking? If you were tempted you should have told me and I would have made you make the call. I never would have left you here with the demon."

"Don't touch me!" Bruce screamed hoarsely as he backed up and cowered into the wall behind him. "Don't come near me!"

"No Bruce." Tony scooted closer. "You can't run away this time. You can't hide from your monsters…." Tony laughed. "That's the point of Loki's game after all. You have to face your demons….And you failed. What happened, Bruce?"

Bruce continued to sob for a few more moments and then slowly looked up tearfully at Tony. "K-kill me, please. Give me the s-silver bla-ade. Please."

"No." Tony shook his head. "No… I told you… You don't get to run away this time. You don't get to hide behind mutations or Sins. This was all you… and you have to accept that. You can't kill yourself because you can't handle the guilt!"

Bruce sobbed and his head fell, the carpet under him becoming wet with his tears. "Its all me. I've done it all." He flipped his head up and faced Tony angrily. "I'm a monster!" he screamed. "I've killed before and I'm going to keep killing! Do your fucking job and kill me!"

"No." Tony said resolutely. "You don't get to get out of this the easy way. You get to suffer with the rest of us. We're all monsters, Bruce. You. Me. Even Steven here. We have all hurt other people for our own goals. And we won't stop." Tony grabbed Bruce by the muzzle. "But you have to learn to live with the pain and the guilt and do everything good you possibly can, not in the hopes that it will make up for what you have done, because we all know that we can never do enough good to make the guilt go away, but only makes it possible to go on another day. Then maybe one day you'll manage to save a life, and though it doesn't help to ease the guilt… it makes you realize that you never want anyone to suffer as you have suffered. So you aren't allowed to die! You get to live with this pain for the rest of your life! That's how you are going to make it up to that man….And that's going to be what keeps you from doing it again."

Bruce shook his head stiffly. "I'm not… a good man, like you all are. I've known that since I could talk. I'm not resourceful like any of you; I have nothing to contribute to the betterment of mankind, Tony. I..I'm nothing. I'm...weak."

"No you're not!" Tony let go of Bruce with a hard jerk. "We are all monsters! No one is better than another! We are just as bad as the things we kill. That is what Loki wanted us to see...And he want's us to give up. But we can't. We get to live with guilt and pain. That's how we know we are human. The wolf didn't care about eating that guy; but you did. Only the weak would run away and abandon responsibility. But you wanted to protect everyone from yourself, even at the cost of your own life. And that makes you strong."

They sat in silence as Bruce eased his breathing, stopping his hiccups. "Do you… do you hate me?"

Tony gave Bruce a scratch behind the ears. "No. We've all made mistakes. And I'm willing to forgive you. If you want to be forgiven."

Bruce leaned into the scratch and closed his eyes. "I don't want forgiveness… I want help."

"I can give you that too." Tony smiled and offered Bruce a hand to stand up. "All you have to do is ask. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Bruce gave him a slight smile and took it, standing up shakily. Tony let him lean on his shoulder as he led him over to Clint, Steven, and Thor.

"So, wanna debrief us on what happened?" Clint asked Bruce as he wiped his hands with a cloth.

Bruce dropped his head as an involuntary whine came out from the back of his throat. "I… don't remember much," he started. "I remember telling him that…. that I was going to...eat his face. I stopped myself and started the exorcism, but he cut himself and…" he let out a breath. "I lost it."

Clint let out a heavy breath and laughed softly. "Sounds to me like he wanted you to do it. But that's still no excuse."

"I… I know…" Bruce said sadly, head still down.

"But none of us condemn you." Steven said putting a hand on Bruce's back. "Your regret is proof enough of your humanity and goodness." Clint and Thor nodded in agreement. "Does that bring you some peace?"

Bruce nodded slightly but then whipped his head up quickly. "Wait, what time is it? I've wasted so much of our time!" he said apologetically.

"I've got half past one." Clint reported looking at this watch. "I think you'll be okay."

"We should keep moving regardless." Thor huffed. "We had no luck in our search either. Any ideas Stark?"

"Well besides trying to summon him…" Tony looked around and then paused. "Wait. Clint! You can get us into the tower! Jarv won't let us in because of the bio-locks I put in but you can authorize us! Then we can really look for Loki."

"Aw, Stark," Clint said cockily as he slung his bow over his back. "You have me as an authorized user of JARVIS? You really do care."

"Shut it, Barton." Tony said slightly embarrassed. "You kept breaking in to my house. If I didn't JARVIS would have vaporized you by now."

Clint raised his arms in the air. "Hey, man. You could just beef up your security, that's all I'm saying." Clint looked at the bagged mess of corpse and back at the demon ward. "So, I was just going to sneak out the air vents after this was over, but now you all are here. And you're too big for the vents, with your freaky wings and muscly-bods. So… I guess we're going out the front door."

"That should not be necessary." Thor said with a mischievous smile. He summoned a ball of fire in his hands and threw it to the floor. The flames crawled across the carpeting and weaved themselves into a complex circle. Thor moved and stood in the center. "Come, my friends. The flames will not harm you."

Tony looked at it as Steven followed Thor into the center. "Well, out of the pit, into the fire, right?"

Clint groaned and the three walked into the circle as well.

Thor put his arms around Tony and Bruce at the edges of the circle. "Now hold your breath and do try to ignore the screaming."

"Wait what was that part about the screaming?" Clint asked. Before he was answered, they vanished.

They were engulfed in a torrent of fire and darkness almost instantly. The flames would occasionally jump close to them, but true to Thor's word, the fire did not burn, but only felt uncomfortably warm. As the flames carried them Bruce could hear the haunting sound of pain filled screams from outside of the fireball. Before he could comment on it he felt solid ground. Soon the flames died down and revealed that they were in the livingroom of Stark Tower.

"Warning. Unauthorized entities present. Commenc-"

"Whoa, Jarv." Clint interrupted. "I, uh...Brought them here. They're with me."

"I see." JARVIS answered, completely changing his tone. "Welcome to Stark Tower. Please make yourselves comfortable."

"Yeah, thanks. I only made you, Jarv," Tony said bitterly. "Now will you focus and find Loki for daddy?"

"Scanning." JARVIS replied with a slight tone at being bossed around. Tony was beginning to wonder if the program acted this way to everyone else. "Results found. The demon Loki is housed in the Statue of Liberty."

"Well that explains why we were having a hard time finding him in the city." Tony mumbled.

"Of course he'd want to be in a monument," Clint said as he rolled his eyes. "Can we go kick his ass now?"

"Get in line. We've been waiting for this all night." Tony laughed and looked out the window. "Should we fly there or teleport? He might see us coming but he might have warding to keep your fire out, Thor…"

"I think he's expecting us," Steven commented. "There is no way that we will be able to perform espionage on him tonight."

"Well the only other option is I blow up the Statue of Liberty." Tony laughed. "And since I don't want to go to prison forever, what else do you suggest we do?"

"Go in and hit him in the face?" Clint asked.

Thor laughed. "I do like that idea."

"Me too." Tony smiled. "So let's get go-" Tony was cut off by a long howl booming outside which made his heart sink and grip his soul subconsciously, backing away from the window.

"Hey, Sparkles," Clint looked in concern. "You okay?"

"It's after me…" Tony mumbled, falling into the sunken living room and tumbling to the ground. "We took too long and now he's bored with me…."

"What are you talking about?!" Clint yelled.

"...Fenrir?" Thor asked in almost a whisper.

Tony nodded and covered his ears when he heard the howl again. "Loki's Hellhound. He always told me that he'd call him when he as done with me… And now he has." The howl started to rattle the windows. "Damn it's getting closer!"

A rumbling growl came from Bruce's throat as he stepped in front of Tony and snarled in front of him. "He's not taking you. Everrr."

"Aye," Thor said and summoned his hammer.

"We'll fight by your side," Steven nodded and pulled out his blade.

"Wait, like the dog Fenrir?!" Clint asked again.

Tony smiled weakly. "Thanks guys, but how are you going to fight him?" He tried to pull himself up. "We still have to stop Loki before it's too late….Thor, Steven, you two distract Fenrir since you can see him. Bruce and Clint, let's sneak by him and get to Loki as soon as we can. Maybe then I can prove my worth to him." Tony added desperately.

"Fine by me," Thor smirked. "I was looking for a challenge."

"Okay." Tony said trying to get his confidence back as he heard the howls getting closer and closer. "Fenrir should be here any minute now… We need to get out of here."

"And how are we going to get out of here altogether?" Clint asked. "Does Fenrir take the elevator?"

"Steven and I will leave by the balcony." Thor answered with a huff of excitement. "You three can leave by other means."

"We'll go out the back door. Unless you want to finally show me all the secret routes you take to get up here without using the elevator, Clint."

"You've got big ass wings and Bruce is a giant fuzzball. You can't fit in any of those places."

Tony closed his eyes and in a puff of smoke returned to his bat form and landed on Clint's head. "Small enough for you?"

"Do it for him too, then yeah," Clint said, unimpressed.

"Sorry," Bruce scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze.

"Can't you try to go back to your normal size?" Tony squeaked. "You need to lower your level anyway right?"

"I… don't think I can do that anymore," he said softly. "I failed the game. I'm technically out."

"What are you talking about?" Tony said as he slipped back into human form. "You're still in this game. You're not at Level 6."

"I think Loki's going for a slow, painful punishment for losers," he looked around and then back to Tony. "Is Fenrir still coming or did Thor and Steven distract him?"

"He's...He's probably still coming. The mutt has my scent after all." Tony laughed weakly. "But you haven't lost yet, Bruce. The fact that you still remember that you were human is proof of that. You came close, but we saved you. Now come on, relax and go down a level or two. Just give it a shot."

Bruce frowned but closed his eyes. After about a minute, he let out a groan and his feral features faded some, but not a lot.

"See." Tony said with a smile. "You made progress. Just keep trying. Clint lead the way. If Bruce can't fit we'll take the stairs or something. Last time Fenrir came over he chewed through the power lines and made the elevator drop twenty floors. I broke every bone in my body… That was not a fun weekend."

"Harsh, man," Clint said, trying not to flinch as he led them to the nearest vent system. "I don't really use this one anymore, so I guess I can show you this one."

"Awe, I don't get your new routes." Tony complained and entered his bat form once more to cling onto Clint's back. "No fair."

"Sorry, Stark. That's all you get for a quarter," Clint said as he pulled down the cover and jumped in. Bruce followed.

"I'm good," he said. "Barely, but I can fit."

"Just keep calm and concentrate on getting human." Tony chittered as Bruce followed. "I want you to have a normal nose by the time we get out of here. Got it?"

"I'll...try."

Chapter 8

Clint maneuvered through the maze-work of the airducts a bit too well for Tony's liking. He would have to install nets or fans or something because this was just embarrassing. Clint had somehow managed to get them to the main stairwell three floors down in only five minutes and no climbing. Tony was not even sure how that was possible.

"You are a miracle worker Clint." Tony laughed in disbelief once Clint pulled them both from the duct.

"I am aren't I?" He laughed and looked back. "You doing okay, Bruce?"

"Fine, given the circumstances," he said as he straightened himself up. "So, gameplan. We need to get to the Statute of Liberty. That's almost a nine mile walk… and then a ferry ride."

"I doubt the ferry is running this late." Clint said and patted Tony on his head. "You got any ideas Batman?"

Tony jumped off of Clint and flew in place at eye level. "Besides flying us there now. I'm not strong enough to carry both of you. I mean... I could always bite you and make you a vampire too Clint."

Clint raised his hands up. "And get my head cut off by Natasha? Hell no! Man can you imagine it? 'Honey, I'm ho-ACK!'" Clint motioned one of his fingers across his throat.

"Awe come on, you'll be human again by sunrise." Tony bargained. "You could turn into a cool bat like me. I can be a wolf too." Tony slipped down the the ground as a stream of mist and reformed as a black wolf. "Awesome right?"

"I've dealt with my share of jynn," Clint started. "I'll pass on the freaky powers, thanks."

"Tony, quit wasting your energy by going in and out of different forms," Bruce sighed.

"I'm fine." Tony grumbled returning to human form. "You're the one I'm worried about. You still have a slight snout there." Tony tapped his own nose. "But you are looking better. I told you that you were still in this game."

"And I said I was fine too, but looked at how that turned out!" Bruce snapped, and he flinched when his muzzle elongated slightly. He took a breath and it reverted back. He sighed. "Just...don't waste anything that you have. You still have to win this for us."

"Just relax Pinocchio, we'll figure something out once we get to the docks." Tony patted Bruce on the shoulder and started down the stairs. "You have a shortcut for going down these Clint?"

"Nope, this is the hard part." He said as he moved past Tony. "Usually I'm dressed in a maintenance uniform, so no one bothers me when I jump in the vents. You really should install a water slide or something in here though. In case of like fire or something."

"Well, when you can convince a bunch of old white dudes that hold shares in your company to do that, we'll talk," Tony smirked as they headed down. It took about 10 minutes but they had made it down and out of Stark Tower.

"Wanna hail a cab?" Clint asked with a laugh.

"Yes!" Tony said with excitement but Bruce just glared at the two of them. "Oh, come on, Brucie! We'll get there so much faster!"

Bruce shook his head and sighed. "You guys are a bunch of assholes."

"Awe, don't be like that." Clint laughed. "We'll take you for a walk, Scruffy."

"Hey, isn't there a pet store down the street?!" Tony laughed. "We'll take you for a walk and buy you a bone!"

Bruce just groaned at them and walked ahead, the two giggling and following behind.

"Hey, there's a leash law here in Manhattan!" Tony called out.

"How did I get stuck with this life?!" Bruce yelled back. Tony and Clint practically falling over in laughter.

"It's your own fault Bruce." Tony laughed. "I told you to try to revert more. Maybe if we get you a toy you-" Tony was cut off by the sound of Fenrir's howl. He started to look around desperately.

Bruce stopped and turned. "Look, I'm doing my best. Its just really hard to- What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing...Dammit he's close." Tony muttered. "Let's go. I'll buy you a chew toy later Bruce."

"Wait, so Thor and Steven didn't distract the mutt?!" Clint asked. "We can't just run away from something like that! Call them or something!"

"I'm sure they got it covered." Tony said, quickening his pace. "Damn chihuahua has my scent is all. We should just stick to the plan. Yeah? Yeah. Glad we all agree."

"How's just walking away going to solve this?!" Clint asked as he caught up to Tony.

"It get's us closer to Loki and closer to ending this game!" Tony snapped. "Then he can see that I'm still interesting and he won't take my soul!"

"But that won't-!"

"Move or stay behind," Bruce said curtly. "You can pick, but we aren't stopping." he turned and walked with Tony.

"It'll be fine, Clint." Tony barely mumbled. "Loki's just throwing a tantrum again. Once I show up and kick his ass he'll realize he needs me."

Clint watched as the two walked ahead of him. He shook his head. "You know, hunting wasn't always this complicated," he sighed and caught up with them.

As they walked the howling started becoming more frequent and louder. Once Bruce heard the distant shouting of Thor and Steven and the occasional snarl from the Hellhound. Tony was trying his best to ignore it but Clint was starting to get frustrated.

"You know," Clint started with an annoyed tone. "I've never seen you this desperate and nervous before. You've never wanted to suck up to Loki this much. Usually you just go on and on about how annoying he is and how much you want to kill him. Now all you seem to want is to make him notice you like some needy teenage girl."

"How would you feel if there was a possibility of eternal damnation waiting for you?!" Bruce snapped as he turned his head to Clint.

"I would take it like a man!" Clint snapped back. "And start fighting with everything I had to find a way out."

"There isn't a way out, Clint." Tony said slowly. "We both know that."

"That doesn't mean you get to give up!" Clint snapped back. "We're hunters. We'll kill Loki and then you'll be free from your deal, just like we planned."

Tony laughed absently. "Yeah...just like we planned."

"You can't just fight a hellhound and then go home and drink a beer," Bruce said, steaming now. "It isn't some ordinary, low class demon that can be exorcised with a few words!"

"And you know?" Clint turned to Bruce. "You just got into the hunting game! You don't know a damned thing about all this!"

"I think I've learned enough about monsters after becoming one!" he spat.

"Oh boo-hoo you got inhuman strength, super healing, and immunity to werewolf and vampire bites." Clint mocked. "And here us normal humans have it so rough with our brittle bones and tiny little muscles."

"Guys, we need to keep moving," Tony said quietly.

"D'you want to test how brrrittle yourr bones rrreally arrre?!" Bruce growled.

"I'm ready to go when you are Toto." Clint smirked and readied his bow.

"Dammit, knock it off both of you!" Tony yelled making them both turn to him. "I get it Clint, I'm acting like a little bitch about this." Tony looked down. "I'm just...scared. Fenrir might not even want to kill me. He might just want to take me to Loki cause he's getting bored. He did that once I think. So...Both of you just relax, okay?"

"Don't apologize to him!" Bruce yelled.

"Oh, yeah? What happened to letting him do what he wants, Kettle?" Clint asked sharply.

"I didn't say anything about that!"

"Then what? You want him to be your little bitch?"

"Fuc-"

Bruce did not get to finish as Thor fell from the sky and slammed the werewolf into the ground.

"No…" Tony took a few steps back and looked from Thor to where he came from.

"I'm...sorry." Thor grumbled weakly. "The hound is very strong."

"Then let's take it down!" Clint yelled and pulled out an arrow.

"You can't see 'em, Clint." Tony backed away more. "Only me...the angels and demons can." There was a rumble and Tony fell down staring down the street. "Oh hell…."

"No!" Steven screamed and jumped onto Fenrir, angel blade swinging down.

Tony scrambled to his feet and looked at the group. Thor was on the ground and Bruce was scrambling to get out from under him. Clint was trying to get a clear shot, but was having a hard time guessing where the hound was from Steven's actions. Tony backed up another step before turning around and starting to run.

"Stark, the fuck?!" Clint yelled at his retreating figure. Tony heard the roars of Fenrir getting louder as Steven and Thor tried to hold the hellhound back.

Clint swore again and shot an arrow in what he hoped was the right direction but he couldn't know for sure. He fired more arrows and one or two seemed to paused in the air so he must of had a hit.

Suddenly a large bat flew into the fray and clawed at the hound. The bat screeched and moved to bite.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about Tony!" Clint cheered and shot an arrow at the blood spot Tony had made.

The wounds that were inflicted on the hellhound were not enough to take it down, but together they posed a challenge. Still, the hellhound snarled and persevered, shoving the others away with a roar and grabbing Tony in mid-air with its teeth, throwing him to the ground. The hellhound snarled and showed its teeth, ready to take it prize. Tony lied on the ground, reverting back from his bat form and closing his eyes, ready for his Hell to begin.

It never did.

Tony opened his eyes as a large beast slammed into the hound's side, Fenrir rolling to the ground. The attacker lunged over him, its chest expanding with each deep, labored breath it took. The sweaty, hairy skin on the beast had patches of sickly green on it that was starting to spread around its body. Its eyes glowed bright green in the dark night, glowering at the hellhound with pure hatred as it roared over it.

"H….Hulk?" Tony said slowly as Fenrir was pushed further and further away from him. "Bruce no!"

Bruce let out an inhuman scream as Fenrir clawed back, his blood flowing out and burning into the pavement below. The wounds quickly healed and he jumped on top of the Hellhound, his entire body expanding faster; his skin getting greener. He clawed at Fenrir's face and then bit deeply into its shoulder, the Hellhound roaring in pain.

Tony opened his mouth to shout back but did not know if he should. The Hulk could easily kill the hellhound. Then Tony would be free of it forever. But that would only piss Loki off more and get Bruce on Loki's radar ever more. Tony grumbled and flew into the air. "Hulk! Throw 'im!" Tony shouted. "Don't kill it! It won't do any good. Just get rid of it now!"

Hulk looked conflictingly between Tony in the sky and the monster he held with claws dug into its wounds. He finally grunted and let his body expand more before standing and pitching the Hellhound all the way towards the Atlantic Ocean.

"Atta Hulk." Tony said with a smile as he flew closer to be at eye level. "Thanks big green. I owe you one."

Hulk grunted again and turned his head all the way down towards the others on the ground, it being a further distance than usual for him because of the werewolf curse. He spotted Clint and growled, going down onto all fours.

"CU...PID..." he practically frothed from his mouth full of fangs.

"Uh….That me?" Clint pointed to himself and looked nervously at the others. "Uh, hi, Hulk, right? Good to finally meet you."

"NO!" He roared. "Cupid HURRRT Little Man!" his claws started to kneed into the pavement. "CUPID BAD! HULK-!"

"Hulk!" Tony flew in front of Clint. "I'm fine see! Clint didn't hurt me, I'm good. Cupid just likes to poke fun, that's all. It's what friends do. You're not going to hurt a friend right?"

Hulk sniffed at Tony and then grunted, as if he was checking to see if he was fine. He gently pushed Tony out of the way and started sniffing at Clint.

Clint was stiff as a board. "This is so weird," he muttered. Hulk growled. "Sorry, sorry. Continue." Hulk grunted and kept sniffing him.

"Hu-man," he managed through his muzzle. "Hulk… frrriend?"

"Sure….We're friends." Clint laughed nervously and out of sheer panic started petting Hulk. "Uh….Good boy?"

Hulk leaned into the scratch by his ear and practically purred. Tony wished that he had a camera on the phone Loki gave him.

"Hammerrr-Man…. Featherrrr-Butt, okay?" Hulk asked, turning his head lightly so Clint could still scratch him.

"We are fine, my friend." Thor said taking a step forward but suddenly jumped back when Hulk snapped at him.

"LIARRR!" Hulk screamed and roared. "NOT HAMMERRR-MAN! DEMON! HULK SMELL IT!"

"He's both!" Tony said flying back into view. "He's cursed like us. He's still Thor. He just looks like a demon."

Hulk glared and growled back at Thor, but turned back and sniffed Tony. "Little Man… not lie. Not con-trrrolled by Hammerrr-Man." He looked back at Thor. "Hulk sorrry."

"You can tell all that?" Tony said landing and walking up to Hulk. "Aren't you something? Are you feeling okay?"

Hulk practically beamed with pride, but then looked down sadly. "Hulk… hungrrrry."

"Yeah, we all are." Tony said sympathetically. "But you can't eat until sunrise. Then we'll eat whatever you want."

Hulk nodded. "Hulk… trrry. Forrr Little Man."

"Thanks buddy." Tony smiled flashing his fangs. "Are you...feeling alright?"

Hulk harrumphed and crossed his arms, pouting. "Hulk tell Little Man Hulk hungrrry. Little Man ask that alrrready." He peered over at him. "Little Man...okay?"

"I'm fine...Just worried about you." Tony laughed slightly as Hulk wagged his tail slowly. "You were cursed too after all."

Hulk sniffed Tony with a curious look. "Little Man scarrred. Not of Hulk, but what? What Little Man want?"

"Just to finish this game." Tony smiled. "Come on fuzzy, we got a demon's butt to kick."

Hulk frowned. "Little Man…. want Hulk? Not…. Bannerrr?"

"Well I want you if you can help. But could you do something for me?" Tony flew closer and grabbed Hulk's muzzle. "Can you get rid of this for me?"

Hulk pulled away shamefully. "Hulk knew Little Man want morrre than what Little Man said," he muttered. "Hulk… not know how. Hulk...not able help Little Man."

Tony looked down slowly. "Doesn't hurt to ask, right? Banner was too weak to do it, so I thought I would ask you. But that's okay, let's go."

"Stark, what are you doing?!" Steven whispered harshly

Tony turned to leave but Hulk grasped his leg as gently as he could. "Hulk strrrongerrr than Bannerrr!" he practically roared in his face and then turned away, a desperate look in his eyes. "Hulk just…. just not know how!"

"I can tell you, Hulk." Tony said with a smile. "Just take a deep breath and relax."

Hulk looked at him earnestly. "Hulk do that! Easy!" he closed his eyes and breathed in. It was silent for a moment; eerily silent.

"Oh no," Steven whispered as Hulk opened his furious eyes.

"LITTLE MAN TRRRY TRRRICK HULK!" he screamed. "TRRRY MAKE BANNERRR OUT; MAKE HULK GO AWAY! HULK NOT WANT GO AWAY! HULK WANT FRRREEDOM!" he threw Tony but Tony caught himself mid-air.

"I'm sorry Hulk!" Tony shouted over Hulk's tantrum. "I didn't mean to trick you, it's just that's how it's done."

"HULK RRATHERRR LOOK LIKE THIS THAN BE GONE!" he slammed his fists into the ground. "STUPID BANNERRRR! STUPID LITTLE MAN!"

Tony landed on the ground and held up his hands in surrender. "...Sorry Hulk. I shouldn't have done that. I just wanted to help both of you. Fur just doesn't suit you. You won't be able to grab anything with those paws of yours soon."

"Hulk grrrab stupid dog!" Hulk pushed his arms out, showing his blood-covered claws. "Hulk not want help stupid Bannerr!"

"I said soon." Tony mumbled. "I hate to break it to you but after sunset Loki's going to make you a wolf forever. Then bye bye hands."

"Then 'bye-bye' Bannerrr!" Hulk snarled.

"Hulk, you cannot just take a man's life-" Steven started.

Hulk snarled. "What about Hulk?! Hulk life!"

"Well Loki's going to take all of it." Tony chimed in. "If this curse stays you're going to lose yourself completely."

"LIE!" Hulk yelled. "Hulk kill stupid demon Hulk self!"

"You know I'm not lying, Hulk." Tony snapped. "Isn't the tail enough?"

Hulk flinched at Tony's tone, as if never expecting him to talk to him like that. He sniffed at Tony and frowned. "Hulk... just want be herrre. Just want be frrree. Hulk do an-ything be frree…"

"I know. We all want to be free." Tony sighed. "But right now Loki has your soul. And if we don't find him by sunrise he get's to keep it. And then none of us will be free."

"...Hulk ...smash betterrr than Bannerrr…" Hulk sounded weary, as if he was running out of excuses.

"I know you do and we need you and will need you when we find Loki." Tony smiled. "But right now we need Bruce so that you don't get stuck that way. Understand?"

Hulk nodded slowly. "Sorrry, Little Man…" Tony offered him a scratch on his cheek and Hulk leaned into it. "Hulk… keep eye on grrroup." He took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly, repeating the process a few times before Tony realized that he had to fly lower to follow his shrinking body. Tony kept rubbing his face as Hulk let out involuntary cries and whimpers from his bones and muscles receding until Tony landed on the ground, Bruce panting, shivering, and shaking in his hand. Tony smiled at the smaller muzzle, realizing with a sigh of relief that he was able to recede back to level three.

"Told you you were stronger Hulk." Tony muttered. "Thanks."

After another few moments, Bruce took in a shaky breath and looked up at him and the others behind him with glowing green eyes. "Are… is everyone o-kay? Wh-What happened?"

"Hulk stopped Fenrir and saved us." Tony ruffled Bruce's hair. "You're going to get two toys now and maybe a trip to the park."

Bruce smirked and swatted his hand away. "You're such an ass," he laughed lightly as he rubbed his nose, sighing peacefully at how far back it had receded. Tony lifted him up and held him up until his legs stopped shaking. "Are you all okay?"

Thor and Steven nodded, letting out sighs of relief. Bruce turned to Clint.

"Clint, I'm sor-"

"Don't," Clint put his hands up. "I'm allergic to apologies. Plus, I was kind of a prick too. But if anybody asks, I didn't say that."

Bruce smiled slightly. "R-right."

"Don't worry. I won't tell." Loki's voice echoed from the top of the street light. "Though I did enjoy hearing you say it."

Clint shot an arrow up at Loki with lightning speed, but Loki vanished as it made contact.

"Reveal yourself, demon!" Thor yelled.

"You all made nice work of Fenrir." Loki said right behind Tony, putting a pair of cold hands on his shoulders. "He ate most of the other teams."

Tony froze under the touch. Thor and Steven readied their weapons as Clint pulled out his silver blade for close combat. A growl erupted from Bruce's throat.

"This game is over!" Steven demanded. "Stop this at once."

"But you haven't found me yet." Loki smirked as one of Clint's arrows passed right through Loki. "I just wanted to check on you after you defeated by hound. Make sure you survived and all that."

"We know where you are," Thor glared. "And we are coming after you. What we did to your mutt is nothing compared to what we will do to you. Now let go of Sir Stark."

Loki let Tony go and took a few steps back. "Well I'm just petrified. You know my hiding place. But you still have to reach me, don't you?" Loki tapped his wrist. "Maybe I should make this game more interesting…. How about changing our time table to give you….one hour?" Loki snapped his fingers and time seemed to move around them at hyper speed. When it eventually stopped the sky was already starting to brighten.

"You dare!" Thor ran up to face Loki but the image vanished and reappeared elsewhere.

"I am within my rights." Loki smiled. "The rules say nothing about manipulating time."

"We don't have time to argue about this." Tony said flatly. "We'll end this game, Loki. We know where you're hiding."

"Oh I do love your enthusiasm, Stark. I'm almost glad Fenrir didn't succeed." Loki smiled and began to fade. "Do hurry. I'm starting to get bored."

Chapter 9

Tony grimaced and looked at the group. "Wait...Where's Clint?"

"What are you talking about? He's right-," Bruce turned around and stopped. "...Clint? Where did you go?"

"He must not have been affected by Loki's spell." Steven looked around. "We should go hunt for him."

"We don't have time for that." Tony said and pulled out his phone. "I'll just call him." He entered the number and did not have to wait long before he heard a frantic answer.

"Where the Hell did you bastards go!?"

"Loki did a time-spell-thing," Tony explained. "We went ahead a few hours, but you didn't. I guess its 'cause you're not in the game."

"Well that's just great cause-" Clit was cut off by a deafening roar that Tony was able to hear both on the phone and in the open air.

Steven and Thor readied themselves in attack positions and Tony visibly paled, grabbing at his gun.

"What? What is that?!" Bruce asked frantically.

"We got a Dragon." Clint said flatly once the roar stopped. "A giant fire-breathing real-life dragon."

"Where are you?!" Steven yelled over to the phone in Tony's hand.

"Five blocks east from where you disappeared." Clint answered. "I was going to take care of Loki myself but then I ran into this guy and have been dodging him for three whole hours, you dicks!"

"Three hours?!" Bruce asked.

"Shit, he wasn't lying," Tony said, holding up the phone's display of the internal clock.

"Let's get over there," Steven urged.

"But we only have an hour left in the game!" Bruce said.

"You're just going to leave me here?!" Clint yelled through the phone.

"Its not like that!" Bruce desperately explained. "If we don't finish the game, then there will be no way of ending this!"

"Then get me out of here at least!" Clint shouted sounding desperate. "I've been fighting this guy alone and I'm just about done…"

"We'll… we'll split up," Steven said resolutely. "Its not ideal, but neither is the situation."

"I should be on your way." Clint said slowly. "He's not letting anyone near the water. We have to take care of him before the tourists wake up."

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Tony said. "Hang tight."

"I'll try." Clint said and hung up.

"Sir Barton is a gallant warrior, is he not?" Thor said with a slight hint of pride. "His soul would be a valuable prize."

"Thor…" Steven started with concern.

"No time," Tony interrupted. "We've gotta get to Cupid. Let's get going," he said as he started towards the sounds of the roars.

Tony and Steven were leading the way by air while Thor and Bruce ran behind them. Just as Clint said, the large dragon of an archangel was stomping down the street looking for anyone or anything that was trying to get to the coast. Tony was looking frantically for the hunter but Bruce managed to sniff him out and soon found him hiding in an alleyway.

Tony looked to Steven, who nodded and flew ahead with Thor and got the dragon's attention. The others ducked into the alley.

Clint looked completely exhausted. He was breathing heavily and had a hand over an obviously burnt shoulder. He looked absolutely furious.

"I hate you Stark." He breathed with a laugh once Tony was close enough. "Hunting used to be so simple before you ruined it with your demons and angels and dragons."

"I'll give you a nice Christmas bonus," Tony said as he helped Clint to his feet.

"We should get you back to the Tower," Bruce said, looking at his arm. "We can do a quick-fix of your arm and then get you to a hospital when we don't have a dragon blocking our way anywhere."

"I'll live." Clint winced as he stood on a possibly broken leg. "Besides I wanna kill Loki so bad…"

"Get in line, Merida," Tony huffed a laugh. "It doesn't look like we'll be getting anywhere close to him now anyway." Bruce pushed himself under Clint's other shoulder to help him stand up.

"We can if he's distracted." Clint motioned over to the others. "We can slip past if we go up a block or two. It's your only chance."

"Sorry, bud," Tony sighed. "You don't look like you're going to take this trip."

"Like Hell I ain't!" He snapped. "I fought that dragon for hours just to learn is pattern and you're kicking me out! Not a chance. I'll be fine!" Clint shrugged off Bruce and started limping away. "Come on, we have a demon to kill right?"

"You can barely walk!" Bruce argued. "This is a suicide mission!"

"Its not like you're going to be any less of a man," Tony shook his head. "You took on a dragon alone for three hours, man."

"And for that, I deserve to kick Loki in the ass." Clint smirked. "So cool your jets, I've been in worse shape."

"Clint stop being ridiculous." Tony said and grabbed Clint's arm, making him turn and expose his burnt shoulder. "At least you're staying here…" Tony slowed as he sniffed the air and moved closer to smell the shoulder more. "You're bleeding."

"'It's not the first time that's happened," Clint pulled his arm away with a snap. "You guys aren't stopping me. I'm going; follow if you want."

"Clint…" Tony said slowly, his eyes glowing more. "You're not going anywhere." Tony flashed him a toothy grin.

Clint paused in his steps and turned slowly, looking at Tony. "Oh… Hell no, Stark," he pulled out a silver blade. "Don't even think about it, Sparkles."

Bruce winced at the silver but still grabbed Tony's shoulder. "Tony, stop it. Come back," he said, a hint of worry in his tone.

"Don't you see Clint," Tony said with a smile. "I bite you and bam! You're healed. You get to fly and stuff like me and as soon as we kill Loki you go back to normal like nothing happened."

"We aren't sure about that, Tony!" Bruce said, pulling him back.

"You come near me with those teeth and I'll cut your head off," Clint said. "Don't take it personally; its just business."

"Nobody's cutting anybody's head off!" Bruce warned.

"Look you can take my blood and then you can cure yourself or whatever." Tony said taking a step forward. "Come on man I'm starving."

Clint took a step back, blade ready to slash at his throat. Bruce grabbed his arm and pulled him back, holding him with arms around his chest.

"We all are, Tony," Bruce said in Tony's ear. "But we can't do that; especially to Clint! We can last just one more hour. Just one more hour…"

Tony shoved Bruce off of him. "I will not be ordered around by a stinking mutt!"

Bruce grabbed his wrist once more, but this time in a near-death grip. "Little Man STOP." he growled out, eyes flashing.

"No." Tony said flatly with equally threatening eyes. "You cannot stop me."

Clint was starting to wonder if he should just slip away while the two were distracted. "Hey, come on. We don't have time to deal with this! Let's get moving."

Tony smirked. "Dinner's right. We don't have time to argue. How about I drain him dry and you get what's left?"

Clint cursed himself.

"We're...we're not going to… we can't do that!" Bruce argued, his voice failing him.

"Sure we can." Tony smiled. "He's injured after all. It would only take a second."

"But he's our friend!"

Clint backed up. "Uh, angels? Now out of all of the times in my life would be great if you could come over here!"

"Ah, don't bother them." Tony smirked. "They are too busy fighting Puff the magic dragon over there." Suddenly Tony was right behind Clint and grabbed onto his shoulders tightly. "Now say 'ah'." and Tony sunk his teeth into Clint's neck.

Clint barely had any time to react. Tony had already started to suck by the time he swung his blade up and behind him. Tony threw it away with a huff of laughter coming from his nose, the warm air hitting Clint's bare skin. Tony started to suck again when he was knocked down by a blunt force.

Bruce growled at Tony as the vampire fell to the ground.

"What?" Tony laughed wiping his mouth. "You upset I took the first bite?"

Bruce looked painfully over at Clint. "G-get out of herrre…. beforrre I lose myself too. Go!" He turned back to Tony. "We'rrre not eating ourrr frrriends!"

"But they are so easy to get to." Tony groaned as he stood up. "Besides, your blood smells terrible. I've smelled better roadkill."

"I neverrr asked you to like it," Bruce said with a glare. "But I'll make you drrrink it forreverr if you don't stop." He looked back at Clint. "Will you get out of herrre?!"

Clint took a moment to rub his new wound before scrambling to his feet and hobbling away. He chanced a glance back but quickly turned once Tony lunged into the air and snapped his fangs at Bruce.

"I take it back. You are getting fixed. Then maybe your attitude towards your master will improve!"

Bruce slashed his claws up and shoved Tony out of the way, his head clearer with the scent traveling further away. "You'reee not my masterrr, Tony! You'rrre not anyone's masterrr! Cut it out!"

"I own thousands of people, Bruce. They work for me and follow my command!" Tony laughed. "How about a mandatory company blood drive? That would be great, wouldn't it!?"

"Listen to yourrrself!" Bruce stopped and glared. "You sound like some… corrporrate monsterrr! You'rre not one to step on the weak to win!" he shook his head. "This is only going to last forr a little less than an hour. We just need to get to Loki! Therrre's no need for all of this. Let's just go!"

Tony shook his head. "You're...you're right…Sorry...I was distracted by the blood."

Bruce lowered his arms slowly. "Its… its okay. I was too. Arrre you… going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Tony said walking up to Bruce and patting his shoulder. Suddenly Tony then grabbed Bruce by the ear and threw him to the ground. "I'll be worlds better once you stop mothering me and let me eat what I want!"

Bruce let out a whine as his ear was pulled and he was forced to the ground. He looked up with a glare and dug his claws into Tony's legs. "LIAR!" he bellowed, his voice lowered and inhuman.

Tony stuck his tongue out at Bruce and laughed at the pain. "Awe, don't worry Spot. I'll be home soon." Tony scratched the top of Bruce's head. "Now let your master go."

Bruce roared and tug Tony to the ground, claws still wrapped deeply in his leg. He pushed his jaw down and bit into Tony's leg.

He shouted at the bite and kicked Bruce in his face to let him go. "Let me go!"

Bruce took the kick to his muzzle and pulled back, grabbing at his enlarged nose as Tony pulled back himself, sitting up and grasping at his leg. Patches of green started to flood on Bruce's skin as he started snarling and snapping at Tony. "Its not so grrreat, being bitten, is it?!" he snapped.

"I assure you my bite is a much sweeter pleasure. Isn't that right Bruce? You seemed to like when I fed off of you." Tony scoffed as the wounds on his leg began to heal.

"Because of yourrr trrances!" Bruce snapped as the muscles under his skin started to widen. He jumped up from his crouch and striked at Tony again, rolling him to the ground. "Give it up!"

"So you can get first pick?" Tony coughed and pulled himself off of the ground. "As if a mutt like you would know what to do with so many humans."

"I don't want to eat them!" he screamed. "You don't eitherrr!"

"I'm a vampire. Not a cannibal." Tony rolled his eyes. "I just want their blood. You and your fellow beasts can have the rest."

Bruce let out a yell as his bones finally started snapping under the pressure. "Then… you'll have to get thrrrough me firrrst!"

"Gladdly." Tony smirked. "Someone needs to put you in your place. Then you will finally understand who your master truly is."

Bruce let out a snort and then winced as the final parts of the transformation took place. "You'll… have to kill me because, I'll neverrr-!" he let out a final roar and Hulk seemed to take over, slamming down his large, clawed paws into the pavement where Tony stood.

Tony laughed as he flew into the air. "I always wanted a dog. An undead mutt will have to do. I promise to be a good master. Now roll over and be a good boy."

Hulk grabbed at Tony's leg, but he flew up higher. He let out a roar of frustration and suddenly jumped up to where Tony was, grabbing him and starting to drop to the ground.

They slammed into the earth hard, cracking the pavement on impact. Tony just continued to laugh. "Is that the best you can do?" Tony's form started to swell as he took his larger bat form. "I'll show you a real fall." He burst free from Hulk's grip and grabbed hold of his hairy shoulders and launched the two of them into the air. It was not long before they were about ten or so floors and then Tony let the Hulk fall.

Hulk tried to grasp at the closest building nearby, his fingers dragging through and catching and shattering glass, cement, and drywall. It slowed his fall down, but he still crashed into the ground, creating a large crater under him. He didn't move.

Tony landed on all fours and triumphantly moved closer to Hulk. "Now that was a fall." He licked his larger muzzle and sniffed absently at the crater. "So would you like this quick, or should I drain you slowly?"

"H-Hulk… blood… bad," Hulk stammered hoarsely, not opening his eyes.

"If it get's you to behave, I'll deal with it." Tony growled and opened his fang filled maw.

Tony lowered his fangs to Hulk's skin, but was suddenly grasped and thrown under Hulk's weight.

"Surrrprrised? Maybe yourrr company should starrrt handing out Oscarrrs," Bruce smiled through Hulk's lips. "I'd be in the rrrunning if you even fell forrr it. Although, its not rrreally harrrd to trrick you, being so… pathetic." He crushed his weight into Tony's legs, the bones snapping under him like wood. "If you trry anything, I'll pull out yourrr teeth one by one and brrreak yourr jaw."

Tony screeched in pain at this broken legs but quickly recovered. "You're not playing fair!" He beat his wings at the air wildly, trying to find traction to get airborne, but was failing. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Yeah, people seem to be saying that a lot…" Bruce muttered as he snapped Tony's wings backwards, making him howl in pain. "But when people keep trreating you like a monsterrr, it only takes so much morrre beforrre you become one."

Tony snapped at Bruce viciously. "I will never kill you. You are not good enough for death! I'm going to make you live forever by my side, you monster! I'll keep you alive until the end of time, and then some, just to watch you slowly lose yourself to that filthy idiot Hulk. I'll read to you the names of every human you've ever killed. I'll bring their fresh corpses to you and watch you try and fail to control yourself. Your guilt will be glorious."

"I wouldn't have it any otherrr way," Bruce said softly. "Then I'll be therrre to keep you in check. Until then, take some time out," Bruce grabbed Tony's head and twisted it, snapping his neck.

He leaned back and took a few deep breaths, settling down in a sitting position as his form receded. When he finished, his mass had dwindled down back to a level four. He blinked and looked down at Tony. His face went from recognition, to realization, and then to pure fear.

"...T-Tony?!" he tried to get up but fell to his knees over him. "No...no please! What did I do?! Tony please!"

Tony was breathing heavily, his chest heaving up and down as his tongue lolled out of his snout. He glanced up to Bruce with large, red eyes. "Y...you di...dick." He huffed a few more times. "I can't feel anything."

"God, please!" he screamed. "This… isn't r-real! Please! This CAN'T be real! Heal already! You healed before! Heal yourself!" Bruce reached out to touch his shoulder.

"What you want to go at it again?" Tony huffed, his breathing starting to slow. "Didn't give you enough of a lesson the first time?"

"THOR!" Bruce screamed. "STEVEN! HELP ME!" he looked back down. "I don't want to fight you! I never wanted to fight you! Pl-please, heal from this!"

"I would be fine if you let me get more than a sniff of dinner." Tony grumbled, still unmoving. "Give me a few hours. Then maybe I can move again."

"I...I didn't want you to do something y-you'd regret," Bruce said, almost tearfully. "God, what did I do? Why would I do this?!"

"Cause you're a jerk." Tony whined in his usual tone and tried to offer a smile. "A good jerk though...Thanks for stopping me...Though you were a bit extreme about it."

"You're not… tricking me this time, r-right?" Bruce asked. "I'm… so tired of this, Tony. If you are faking this, I can't fight you anymore. I just… I can't hurt you again. I...give up." he said softly and lied down on his back next to him. "I'm not going to stop you from hunting humans. I can't hurt you again. If this... eternal damnation is my punishment, so be it."

Tony let out a hollow laugh that was more like a wheeze. "We're not going to win are we?...We're going to be stuck like this forever." He paused and took in a deep breath. "We'll find some way to make it work. I'm rich enough to buy enough blood so I won't need to hunt. And we can just fly you around the world so that you avoid the full moon, Bruce. We can get through this. Until the end of time and then some."

Bruce smiled softly, still gazing at the stars. "We can run out of New York and go somewhere under the radar. Maybe we can go somewhere quiet… away from all of this noise." He let out a hollow laugh. "To be honest, I can't stand the city-life. But at least I can spend the rest of eternity with my friend."

"Awe but I love the city." Tony grumbled. "It's too dark in the country. Not enough going on." Tony groaned as his wing snapped back into shape. "Though I guess we're on the hunter's most wanted list come sunrise. So we probably should hide."

"Do you think Natasha and Clint are going to hunt us once the sun rises?"

"Don't take it personally," Tony sighed. "Its just business."

"I know." Bruce didn't reply for a few moments of silence until he finally spoke up, his voice somewhat broken. "We lost, didn't we? We really lost."

"Looks like it. Guess we can't win 'em all."

"Well, if we have to spend eternity running from ourselves," Bruce sighed. "At least I get to do it with my best friend."

"Love you, man. No homo," Tony added with a laugh.

Bruce laughed. "No homo."

Bruce and Tony watched the sun rise, cascading shadows over the tall New York skyline when they were suddenly washed over with a white light, blinding them and covering their world with silence.

Chapter 10

Loki leaned on the open frame in his hiding place at the top of the Statue of Liberty. The sky was growing brighter with the rising sun and he could not help but sigh regretfully. Was it really going to be this easy? He picked himself off of the wall and walked back to his makeshift throne.

"I never imagined I would get these many souls in so little time." Loki admired the large jar of glowing souls he had collected in his game. "So much power… So beautiful."

There was a small squeaking from the entryway and Loki straightened. "Stark? Stark is that you?" He jumped up from his chair and walked back to the entryway. A small bat was hidden in the rafters. "No use hiding Stark, you found me, you won. I always knew it would be you."

The bat seemed to look over at Loki and, upon realizing that Loki was looking at it, fluttered downwards until it was about eye-level with the demon. The bat squeaked and a flash appeared before Loki's eyes.

"I'd hate to break it to ya," Clint said as he pulled out his bow and placed an arrow on the string, pointing it directly in-between Loki's eyes. "Oh, fuck it. I love breaking it to you, but I won, pretty-boy."

Loki took a step back. "You cannot win. You were not a part of this game." Loki wandered back to his jar. "You did not pay your entry fee."

"I just dueled with Paarthurnax for three hours," Clint said, arrow never leaving its target. "I just got bit by one of your contestants! All I wanted to do was go invade Stark's house, drink his beer, and watch the Michael Myers marathon. Now shut up and give me my wish!"

He shook his head and laughed. "You broke my rules. I don't think it would be fair to grant you any wish you desire. How about I cure you and send you on your way?"

"And you followed your rules by changing time?" Clint asked incredulously. "I mean, fucking changing time! This business was so much easier before you reared your head." Clint shook his head. "Besides, I did follow your rules; just in my own way." Clint dropped his bow and pushed it behind him, at the same time grabbing a silver blade. He then dug his free hand into his pocket and pulled out a Starkphone that was used for the competition and chucked it at Loki. "There's your price of admission."

Loki looked at the phone with a small smile. "Slightly worthless but a valid gesture. Very well, welcome to the game. May I ask where you obtained this? I thought my game was full."

"Banner had it in his pocket," Clint said. "He… shit, what did Stark say? He… 'Hulked-out'. His phone was in his pocket and it fell out when he turned into a giant, muscley-monster. So, the game's over."

"Not quite." Loki smiled. "There is still the small matter of your monster. Now what are you...Vampire does not suit you….Hm. Are you a werewolf like Doctor Banner? You are not good enough to be an angel or clever enough to be a demon…."

"I'm a vampire right now, you son of a bitch," Clint glared red eyes. "And I found you already. Give me my wish."

"Aw, that is not fair to the others." Loki looked around and laughed slightly. "You need to be something."

"Or I can just kill you now and end it," Clint backed up and grabbed his bow, pulling it up ready to strike. "You've got 5 seconds. And you're lucky I'm giving you that."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Picky picky." He breathed out slowly. "Very well what do you want? A puppy? A shiny new bicycle?"

"For this entire game to have never happened and will never happen again," Clint said. "And for you to go to Hell and never come back."

"Ooo, that was three wishes. The rules state that I can only grant you one wish. Try again."

Clint shrugged, but still kept his arrow trained on Loki's head. "It was worth a shot. Fine, I wish this game that you made never happened. And this better not be a jynn trick or some monkey's paw shit," Clint warned.

"Are you certain that is what you desire? Afterall I am offering you anything in the universe. Do you really want to waste it all saving a few hundred souls when you could wish yourself to godhood?"

"That's overrated," Clint said. "And hurry up. I know that you're trying to stall for time."

"I really should pay more attention to you. It should offer some quality entertainment in the future." Loki laughed. "Very well, your wish shall be granted exactly to your heart's desire, but only because this game was too easy anyway." Loki snapped his fingers. "It is done. And as the winner, you shall retain all memories of the event. But only you. False memories are always fun. See you again soon."

"I'll be ready and waiting," Clint said as a white light flooded his vision, and soon everything went to black.

Tony snuck up behind Bruce with a rubber spider dangling on a string. He slowly lowered it onto Bruce's book and shook it a little to make it wiggle letting out a spooky "ooooo" noise as he did so.

Bruce snapped the book shut on the spider. "Really, Tony?"

"Really." Tony laughed. "Happy Halloween! Have you seen Thor? I wanna prank him too."

Bruce turned his head and smiled. Tony's laugh was contagious. "Ah, now that's just mean. He's still getting used to being human."

"All the more reason to show him what human's do for fun." Tony smiled, showing off a pair of plastic fangs. "Vleh. I vant to suck your blood!"

"Don't joke like that in front of him; he'll try to cut your head off." Bruce turned back to the table, pulling the spider out of the book and handing it back to Tony. He put his book down along with his reading glasses and pulled himself off of the couch. "I didn't think a hunter would be so excited about Halloween."

Tony popped the fangs out of his mouth. "It reminds me of a time before all this mess. When vampires were sexy and shilled to middle-school girls, not trying to kill me. Plus...I finally have people around I can play pranks on, like you and Thor. Clint's okay, but Natasha disarmed all of my pranks last time… It's no fun."

"I'd hate to break it to you, but I've never really celebrated Halloween. Your best chance is probably with Thor or Steven."

"What?" Tony jumped onto the couch. "You never ate candy till you wanted to throw up? Your Mom at least dressed you up right? I bet you were a little nerd. For some reason I can see you going as a traffic cone for safety."

Bruce flicked the spider into Tony's face. "Very funny. No, I never dressed up for Halloween. My parents… didn't celebrate it."

"Oh...They were one of those lame parents that thought Halloween was evil, huh?" Tony laughed. "Imagine what they would say if they knew you're roommates with an angel." Thor wandered out of the hallway. "Right on cue. What candy should he have first? Chocolate or pure chemicals?"

Bruce rolled his eyes and then turned to Thor with a smile. "Hey, Thor. How are you?"

"Well, I suppose." Thor sighed. "Everything looks dull compared to my vision as an angel. Was the world always so orange and black?"

Tony laughed. "No man, its Halloween!"

Thor looked between the two in confusion until Bruce sighed.

"Humans in several countries celebrate a holiday called Halloween. Its apparently based on folklore from centuries ago. People dress up in costumes to be whoever or whatever they want to be and get and give candy." Bruce looked pointedly at Tony. "I think its just a way for corporations to make more money by using folklore as a front."

"Ah, yes." Thor smiled slightly in recognition. "I remember humans celebrating harvest festivals about this time. So is that what is happening now? And you said you believe corporations are responsible? Does that mean Sir Stark is at fault as well?"

Bruce scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I meant corporations that sell everything that has to do with Halloween."

Tony gave Bruce a shove. "Don't listen to him. He's a spoil-sport! Now the majority of people just drink and party a lot. And candy. Don't forget candy." Tony smiled and tossed Thor a candy bar. "Give it a shot. And take the wrapper off...Bruce this one is for you. You look like a chocolate sort of guy."

"Thanks…" Bruce said as they all unwrapped their candy. Thor took a bite and chewed a few times before smiling.

"Interesting! Its very sweet! I like it," Thor said excitedly.

"That's the point of candy." Tony jumped off the couch. "Kids love it. They go door-to-door to get some from each house. If the house does not give them candy, they get pranked."

Thor let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, children. I just hope that the pranks are not like those of Tricksters!"

"Not even kids have that much power." Tony shook his head. "They just throw eggs and toilet paper your house. Though I give out big candy bars. They love me."

"That's because you're just a big kid yourself," Bruce laughed.

"Do you partake in Halloween with the children, Sir Tony?" Thor asked.

"I'm too old for anything fun." Tony grumbled. "Halloween is mostly considered a 20 and under sort of thing. Though I am old and rich enough to buy all the candy I want!"

"You're not too old that you don't try pulling pranks on people anymore," Bruce said and picked the rubber spider out of Tony's hand.

"Well I'm never too old for that." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted. "Mr. Barton is on his way up."

"Clint?" Tony put on an odd face. "I wasn't expecting him to show up. If anyone I was expecting Loki." Suddenly a chilling 'dun, dun, dun' song began to play over the speakers.

"What was that?" Thor asked looking around the room for the source of the music.

"Oh, I programmed Jarv to play that sound whenever someone says Loki." Tony smiled as the music played again.

"Really?" Bruce asked, trying to hide a smile with a look of annoyance. "That's rea-." He was interrupted when the elevator door swooshed open.

"You owe me so much Stark!" Clint said as he stormed into the living room and jumped onto the couch. "And I mean it. Tonight it's Christmas and you are Santa." He picked up Tony's abandoned Scotch bottle and started chugging it.

"Hey, usually you go through one of the vents to steal my booze," Tony said, not missing a beat.

"What did Sir Stark do this time, Sir Barton?" Thor asked, confused.

"This time?!" Tony turned to Thor with a mock-offended look on his face.

"Please know that was not my intention!" Thor apologized, hands raised in defense.

"I saved your asses from being monsters." Clint said proudly. "A certain demon was stopped by the greatest hunter in the world. Not naming any names, but I totally kicked Loki's ass." The music played and Clint smiled. "Nice."

"When did you see Loki?!" Bruce asked. "Tony!" he yelled when the music played.

"Last night….Tomorrow morning… I don't know, he messed up time. I fought a dragon for like three hours." Clint waved it off and snapped his fingers at Tony. "Beer, now."

Tony gave him a look that made it look like he just sucked on a lemon. "I have a problem with people handing me things; the same applies to the opposite. Dragons aren't even real."

"Sir Barton," Thor asked in concern. "Have you consumed any of the drugs?" Tony burst out laughing.

"No, blondie, I'm sober...well mostly." Clint laughed. "And I thought you would doubt me. That's why I have proof!" Clint pulled out this phone and passed it to Tony and started a video. Clint smiled as Tony's eyes went wide at the video of the massive dragon wandering through the city with Clint's face showing in the corner.

"What the Hell?! This is New York!" Tony yelled as Bruce and Thor looked over his shoulders and became shocked as well. The video finished and Tony looked up at Clint and suddenly smirked. "Heh, nice. You… must have used Jarvis or something. I mean, how: 1. can dragons exist 2. can there be one raging blocks from my building and nobody knowing about it 3. come there's no property damage, and 4. would you even have the time and the ability to film all of this while fighting a dragon bigger than a skyscraper?"

"I told you, that demon messed with time. This all happened in an alternate timeline I guess." Clint shook his head as he helped himself to a beer. "He turned a bunch of people into movie monsters. You were a vampire, Bruce was a werewolf, and poor Thor was a demon."

There was a pause in the room.

"...Was I hot?" Tony asked.

"Tony," Bruce sighed.

"Really, Sir Barton?" Thor looked thoughtful. "How intriguing that you would be a victim of an alternate timeline and still remember everything from it."

"...Thor?!" Bruce looked in surprise.

"Loki," Dun. Dun. Dunnnnn. "said I get to keep my memories as the winner of the game. He gave me a wish and I used it to fix everything. And to answer your question. You looked like a giant stupid bat, Tony."

Tony shrugged. "At least I didn't sparkle."

Thor walked over to where Clint and put a hand on his shoulder. "I apologize for the burden that you had to bear, Sir Barton. I am thankful for your service though."

"Wait, am I the only one here who isn't taking this lightly?" Bruce asked. "If all of this is true, then couldn't this 'wish' be a trick? I mean, it is Loki-" Bruce was cut off by the music and he started to rub his temples, closing his eyes. "Jarvis, for the sake of thousands of people, especially Tony, please turn that off."

"Certainly, Doctor." JARVIS answered.

"Awe, I liked it." Clint laughed. "Anyway, I checked it out and everything seems to be in order. Loki's game isn't happening and I think that you all have your souls. And you don't have a muzzle anymore Bruce, so I think we're good. Loki seemed kinda bummed that he won too, so I think everything is back."

"How would a person even check for their souls anyway?" Tony said, looking down at his chest to see the soft blue glow. "Well, besides me anyway. And I wouldn't be too sure about Bruce. The moon's not even up, and He's kind of hairy and I've been meaning to ask him if he needs a nose job…" Bruce grabbed a wad of paper and threw it at Tony's head.

"Trust me, last thing I knew I was a vampire. Then Loki snapped his fingers and then I was in front of your tower with this." Clint tossed a small metal coin to Tony that had a smarmy looking portrait of Loki's head and the words "I owe you nothing" etched around the edges.

Tony smirked. "Yeah, this is from Loki alright. He's given me a bunch of these in the past."

"I think I'm gonna melt it down and make it into an arrowhead and stab him in the ass," Clint said, taking the coin back.

"And I think since the gang's all here, we should celebrate!" Tony said, going to his fridge by his bar. "I bet I can drink Thor under the table now that he's human."

"I think I would care to take that wager, Sir Stark." Thor said proudly. "In your Dark Ages I out drank many a mortal man."

"Now this I would like to see." Clint laughed. "JARVIS, start the Halloween marathon and order a bunch of take-out. It's time to party!"

The night progressed just like that. When the sun set, the others noticed that Clint couldn't help but look out the window and then back to his friends with a sigh of relief. They didn't dare ask what happened that night.

THE END


End file.
